FRED Entertainment

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies.Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp

uni

THE UNIVERSE: THE COMPLETE SEASON TWO

Forget about your DARK KNIGHT Blu-ray as the benchmark against which you’ll judge any other disc as The Universe: The Complete Season Two is absolutely breathtaking.

One of the things that you notice when you settle in to this collection of 4 discs is that the programs that you used to watch as a kid which sought to explain the nuances of the universe are now completely irrelevant. What this series does, in 18 episodes, is to redefine how you spatially think of outer space.

I never was one who paid much attention to my science teachers when it came to this subject as I was, and still am, a visual learner. The fundamental problem with space, you see, is that it is very much based on factoids, theoretical assumptions and basic math. I’m not much for any of those things. What this series manages to do, in an arresting visual style, is contextualize the science and make it understandable to anyone who can sit in front of the television and watch the images and listen to the narration. This series has quickly become one of my favorites as nowhere else has there been a show that mixes the abject vastness of space with the kind of sensibility that understands that not everyone is an Einstein. The program introduces topics usually reserved for those with a scientific bent but it does so with a casual narrative style.

If you have to have the kids inside watching a show this summer you couldn’t do more perfect than The Universe.

The product description:

As the orbiting Hubble’s final makeover makes headlines, consumers who look to the stars may be wishing for their very own ultra-powerful space telescope. This July, A&E Home Entertainment invites home audiences to peer deeply into the cosmos with THE UNIVERSE: THE COMPLETE SEASON TWO BLU-RAY EDITION. A hi-def, visually-arresting journey across the galaxy, this 4-disc collector’s set features all 18 dramatic and original episodes from one of the top-rated series on HISTORY — and exclusive programming — for $79.95 srp. It’s the next best thing to having a deep space telescope in your living room – and a must-have for anyone with a Blu-ray player

In THE COMPLETE SEASON TWO, HISTORY ventures outside of our solar system in another epic and high-definition exploration of the universe and its mysteries. With strikingly realistic computer re-creations, armchair astronomers will travel to the edge of the unknown: visit strange and unfamiliar worlds in “Exoplanets,” prepare for the worst in “Cosmic Collisions,” and uncover the secrets of our own galaxy in “The Milky Way.” And that’s just the beginning: more mysteries are unveiled as “Dark Matter” is demystified; take a front-row seat for the ultimate light show with “Supernovas,” and find out more about “White Holes” which, unlike black holes, actually create matter.

BRUNO – Arizona Screening

bru_field_300x250-1 I remember seeing BORAT for the first time at the San Diego Comic-Con years ago. The expereince of getting tickets to see then film and then being one of the first people in the world to review it was a delight in knowing that this film was genuinely going to become a favorite with a lot of people when it was going to be released months later.

Fast forward 3 years and now we get Sacha Baron Cohen’s second iteration at cinematic immolation: BRUNO. Based on one of the characters he used in Da Ali G Show, Bruno was a character that played seek and destroy against mavens in the fashion and glamor arena. What made Bruno so great is that it shared some of the elements with Borat. The character mirrors the shallow, desperate affectations of those who deal in the industry of beauty and he isn’t above a few of the more physical pranks that Sacha is now known for.

To this end, I have FREE passes to see the Arizona screening of BRUNO on Tuesday, July 7th at 7 p.m. at the Tempe Marketplace in Tempe.

If I need to sell this movie any further you best let the fans get to these and then wait to hear from them about why you should’ve seen it in the first place. Shoot me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com to let me know if you want to go.

THE PROPOSAL – A Product Placement Correction

alaskan-new-w-mountians-72 I am reminded, every so often, of Frances ‘Chainsaw’ Gremp from SUMMER SCHOOL. You may recall, from this paragon of a film, that Frances had sunglasses that were constantly breaking. So, with a little prodding from Shoop Frances rattled off a missive to Cool Dudes Sunglasses to let them know how he felt. At the end of the letter writing campaign, and many pairs of free sunglasses later, Frances exclaims, “Power of the pen!”

Every now and then I get such a moment and am reminded of how small the Interwebs are. Last week I made mention of a rather stark, at what I thought at the time, product placement. Alaskan Brewing Company was featured prominently throughout a few scenes in THE PROPOSAL and I made mention of it in my review.

Lo and behold I heard from someone at Alaskan Brewing. A very, very nice letter made its way into my inbox and I was set straight about what was NOT a paid promotional placement. An excerpt:

“I may be a little biased but have to admit that I was equally mesmerized by our red-labeled beer bottles throughout the movie, and almost shocked because Alaskan Brewing actually didn’t pay anything for the placement – the production company even covered the shipping costs. Last April they asked us to send a few cases of Alaskan Amber and signs to Massachusetts for the set design, and while we would have preferred they actually filmed in Alaska we were excited they wanted to include Alaskan in the film. We never really expected to see such extensive coverage of our beer.

If you look closely at the general store and internet cafÃ©, their production team did a pretty good job of including products from all over Alaska, from the brown and beige Xtra-tuf boots (which are a footwear staple here in Southeast Alaska) to boxes of Alaska Wildberry Products candies, Smoked Copper River Salmon and Alaskan-made salsa. They even found some well-known artwork to hang in the unbelievably large family house in “Sitka.”

We have spoken with a few of the other businesses shown in the film and it’s my understanding none of those companies paid for product placement either.”

No one could be more shocked than I was when I learned that nary a penny traded hands for what amounts to some of the best free advertising this side of the Rio Grande. It’s nice to hear when some companies are just the lucky receipients of the marketing lotto. Hopefully this translates into some actual sales or, at the very least, awareness of the brand as THE PROPOSAL hopes to build on what was solid word-of-mouth and pretty enjoyable film, all things being equal, as it heads into its second week at the box office.

transformers_2_run_poster TRANSFORMERS 2: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN – Review

It’s the cinematic equivalent of putting on your fat pants before downing a soft roll of raw cookie dough.

For all the talk of how empty this movie will make you feel after you endure it’s 149 minute run time there is no question after seeing it that Michael Bay is a master of blowing things up real good. To say he is a master of the pyrotechnic technique would under emphasize the level of destruction he manages to bring to this summer film. He manages to fill every last inch of screen with shrapnel, smoke or action when there’s action to be had and that’s why it’s everything that a 13 year old boy could want in a film directed squarely at them.

This film has to make money. It is designed to generate money. It’s sole purpose, it’s raison d’etre, is to put paying customers in seats in exponential numbers. Once you synthesize this, examining the film as a grand economic exercise helps to put things in the proper perspective.

What should be apparent by the time our young Shia LeBouf (Sam) makes his way to college, leaving his gear head of a girlfriend Megan Fox (Mikaela) back to tend to the home fires, is that this movie isn’t concerned with a coherent plot. It wants excuses to get loud, get dumb and get some kinetic action going at every opportunity. To wit, we’re given Hong Kong at dusk. There is an operation going on with a couple of our human heroes, Tyrese and Josh Duhamel, tracking down Decepticons through the highways and byways of the crowded city. Logic would follow, wouldn’t it, if you having an all out battle of robots made out of metal all over the world that there would be more than just a couple of Internet nerds vying for the hearts and minds of conspiracy theorists who seem to believe that robots walk among us? No, and you would be silly for making such an assumption as the film wants us to believe that this is a secret that has been perfectly kept across multiple continents during multiple skirmishes with Michael Bay-ian level action. However, I’m fine with this.

I’m fine with the movie wanting me to believe this is all very routine and certainly I’m fine with a dweeb like Shia ditching his girlfriend at the first taste of college life, coincidentally being paired up with a roommate who is the head of the robot conspiracy movement. You could hurt your mind just trying to explain all the happy coincidences, all the completely improbable things that just don’t make any sense whatsoever. Again, to illustrate the point, remember the very real auto accident that put Shia’s performance in this movie in jeopardy? It’s almost laughable, and it is, to see the exact moment in the film when this happens. Without so much as an explanation as to how he ends up with a hand wrapped in gauze with no discernible explanation of where it came from and we’re just led to believe this is all part of the world these characters inhabit, where gauze is readily available even in the middle of the desert. I started to feel insulted at this point but then I remember what this movie is supposed to be about and it helped put everything in perspective. The irony that the original kids show, along with the likes of G.I. Joe, was an ancillary extension of the marketing campaign for the Transformers toy line and that this film is basically a meta extension of that, isn’t lost on me. In fact, I am surprised no one else mentions this as a way to explain why else this movie works as a cinematic achievement.

And make no mistake, this movie is absolutely an achievement. The level of dedication that Bay has placed in making a film that you can’t help but admire for its technical prowess, it’s effects are dumbfounding in more than a few ways, should absolutely explain why this movie is poised to be a fiscal juggernaut. The effect For all the talk of artistic integrity director Michael Bay has succinctly distilled his ability to take the mundane into something exciting and the way he places ordinary people into extraordinary situations is brilliantly executed on the screen. Summer blockbusters are not made out of the charity to help others and while there is a metric ton to bemoan about this ultimately tepid film Bay has the formula down. You can make fun of Carrot Top all you like but when he’s relaxing in his zero edge pool while you’re stuck pushing paper inside a gray cube who is the real winner in the equation?

The mechanical problems with this film are many. The excruciatingly boring characters that LaBeouf, Fox, Turturro, et al., play are all expendable in my eyes; it shows you what a gimpy script by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman turned in, they could have all died a sinister death by robotic means and I wouldn’t have cared. The running time is just unnecessary as any 5 year-old with safety scissors could have trimmed enough time off this movie to make it endurable. And the ultimate leaps of time and space are embarrassing; when one moment you have robot cars wheeling through a city street and, the next, battling in the middle of a forest there is no need to consult a map as you just aren’t supposed to think about these things.

Ultimately, TRANSFORMERS 2: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN is everything that show business is supposed to be about: creating a spectactle by any means neccessary, ensuring the fiscal health of the studio that helped to finance it by attracting the largest audience possible. Bay is an absolute capitalist and this film is an homage to the best, and worst, parts of what makes America great.

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June 25, 2009

Opinion In A Haystack: TRANSFORMERS 2 – Multi-Angle Review

Filed under: Opinion In A Haystack,Reviews — Tags: john turturro, Megan Fox, Michael Bay, more then meets the eye, robots in disguise, Shia LaBeouf, transformers, transformers 2, transformers 2 revenge of the fallen — admin @ 11:49 pm

tf2poster

TRANSFORMERS 2: MULTI-ANGLE REVIEW

Surprise, surprise!!! When it comes to movies so loved by the masses and so hated by critics, like Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, it really seems like it throws reviewers into a divisive whirlwind. Most critics decide to have fun ripping out its guts and putting the innards on display for the world to see, since their opinion on a film like this will not even bite a chewable chunk out of the box office receipts. Some critics simply get depressed that they even have to comment on the film. Others just give in to the crushing pressure of the sad truth: that the entire planet thinks this is “good.” There are even some, possibly, that actually enjoyed the movie without prefacing their delight with “for what it was…” So, to try something new, I am going to attempt a review from 4 different angles.

(***There are NO SPOILERS or plot descriptions either…but if you really, really want those things, then here you have it: Robots Fight, Shia LaBeouf and a hot chick run a lot.***)

ANGLE #1: NORMAL

I wholeheartedly enjoy some Michael Bay movies, I even love one or two as superb action escapism. Transformers 2, however, is barely a movie and is honestly beneath even Mr. Bay. What we have here is a serious, mind-numbing, failure to communicate. This film breaks the singular cardinal rule of all truly great escapist films, the one detail needed to rise it above just being a “series of events” to “generic fun”…a through line! We need some semblance of a cohesive understandable story arc for the characters, no matter how clichÃ© or simple, to keep some emotional attachment to what is happening. Michael Bay’s opus might be the most confusing big-budget mess ever put to celluloid, couple that with the fact that all the robots look almost exactly the same and all the geography during action sequences are like metallic scramble eggs and there is NOTHING to hang on to.

bayrobots

Armageddon, Bad Boys 2, The Rock, these are art-films compared to Transformers 2, if not just because they have a somewhat competently written story. They might have bland plots, and Hollywood-ized characters, but there is meat to grab onto as you watch them, you actually care what’s going to happen next instead of just assuming that something is going to happen next because the credits haven’t rolled yet. Remember all the negative hoopla about Death Race when it was released? Well that film, much like the original film it was based on (and Mr. Bay’s early films) is pure action exploitation. I fully admit to loving Death Race. Was it a good film? No, not really. Did it have a comprehensible story line and action geography? YES!!!It was one hell of a good time, due in no small part to the fact that the audience could grab onto the simple plight of Jason Statham’s character to take them through the action. It was clear who was good, who was evil, and where it was all going. Escapist films don’t need to re-invent the thematic wheel; they just need to use it. I don’t expect Taxi Driver when I buy a ticket for Bad Boys 2, Commando, or Death Race, I just expect to know what is going on. I just defended a Paul W.S. Anderson film. Deal with it.

explosions

Every human character in Revenge of the Fallen literally talks like they are in a Micro Machines commercial. Rain Wilson’s cameo is the only human-speed dialogue delivered through out the run time. Wait, I take that back, Tyrese Gibson had the honor of delivering this earth shatteringly bland comic-relief-nugget during a pause in the narrative:

“I don’t like that guy…he’s an asshole.” ““ Tyrese Gibson, Actor, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

That quote is pretty much the amount of effort that went into all writing on this film; it feels like it was written off the cuff as the actors stood in front of the cameras looking at tennis balls. It does sound like a derivative criticism to say there is no acting in a movie like this…but there was almost 0% thespian craft! That isn’t a slight against the cast, it’s the fact that they must have been directed to deliver all dialogue as if the characters were on speed pills. The scene where Shia arrives in his college dorm is edited and delivered so fast that it’s hard to believe it’s not a satire. It needs to be seen to be believed, but it’s still not worth the ticket price.

thespian

John Turturro, once again lowering himself, is at least somewhat comprehensible as the wacky former government employee. That still doesn’t help the fact that one of our most gifted and underrated actors alive today will be remembered by a generation of kids as “that funny guy from the transforming robots movie.” Which brings out my very real concern for an entire generation of kids that think this thing, Revenge of the Fallen, is what a movie is suppose to be. There is no doubt that there is amazing special effects here, used so much and so naturally that the word desensitization doesn’t even suffice. Confusing, meth-addict, explosion-porn like this will rob an entire generation of their patience to watch and enjoy all the beauty, wonder, craft, and greatness in the history of cinema. If they continue to suck at the tit of movies like Transformers 2 as they grow they will be unable to tolerate films like Apocalypse Now, 12 Angry Men, Blade Runner, A Fistful of Dollars, Papillon, Schindler’s List, or The Great Escape and so on and so forth. They won’t even be able to tolerate old action, exploitation, or escapist movies. All those films are nothing but boring, unwatchable, intellectual-tests to anyone raised thinking the definition of cinema is incomprehensible CGI filled nightmares that placate the masses and prove their worth with money instead of art.

shiapyrimid

There are personal friends of mine, 30 year-olds, that have admitted that they have even been corrupted by the special effects and lightning pacing of today’s cinema, to the point that “old stuff” just puts them to sleep. They are in their 30’s, imagine someone still impressionable growing up in this cinematic climate. We live in an age where an actor like Shia LaBeouf is the “IT-Boy.” Think of how much things have changed since, say, Dustin Hoffman was the “IT-Boy.” Hoffman was young and new in Hollywood, but he was making masterpieces, SUCCESSFUL classics, like Marathon Man, Straw Dogs, The Graduate, Papillon, Midnight Cowboy etc. Now I didn’t live through the 70’s, nor did I even exist in the 70’s, but I got to ask: What were they doing so right back then that we are doing so wrong right now?

ANGLE #2: CRITIC “BLURBS”
(Written by me, out of context. In fact, no context exists)

explosion

“Bay’s newest opus is akin to a 2.5 hour long car crash. One that has a plot. I think.”

“Revenge of the Fallen plays like punch to the nose. It starts out of nowhere, confusion strikes, then the rest of your time is spent trying to stop the bleeding.”

“Like watching someone slowly separate your legs from your body using scrap metal.”

“I eagerly await the porn version, Transporners: Rear-end of the Ballin, which will sadly have more believable dialogue and a tighter plot.”

“…and to think that in 2009, so many years later, our modern day Ed Wood, Bay, is not only gratuitously funded, but heavily successful.”

“I’m getting old.”

“Not since Claude Rains in 1933, has someone, so convincingly played the invisible man in a leading role. Well done Mr. LaBeouf. Blandness achieved.”

“Excuse me Mr. Bay, what just happened? Was that a movie?”

“So fleeting and hollow that it should be called Revenge of the Forgotten.”

“Why waste your $8? Stay home and watch soft-corn porn and a demolition derby on cable.”

“The time it must have taken to animate each little movement of every little part of each complex robotic character for a film that fails on such a deep level as this one is enough to push any legitimate film fan to suicide.”

“The cinematic equivalent of white noise.”

“…a multi-million dollar travesty for the video game generation, and they will love it.”

“So big, so epic, so enormous, so empty, so obvious, Michael Bay is no idiot. Congratulations on this summer’s best practical joke.”

“I fell asleep. Twice.”

ANGLE #3: SARCASM

Is this all you got Mr. Bay?!?! That’s it? Severe disappointment is the only word that truly describes Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. After the boring first movie, which was filled with exposition, humans, and moments of pause, I was hoping for a cinematic correction by Bay. Did he not learn his lesson, even though the first one was a hit?

Once again we have another movie filled with human characters talking, hogging screen time, giving exposition, and generally making the audience fall asleep. Michael Bay’s intense artistic ego even goes so far as to make the robots themselves spout off crucial plot heavy dialogue in a time wasting effort that takes away from the fighting. I know what you are saying…what do you want? Blood from a rock? Yeah! I want blood from a rock, A TRANSFORMING ROCK!!! I want two hours of unbridled hellish war with not a human in sight. I want galaxy-sized robots, foaming motor oil at the mouth, fighting each other with boxing gloves made of black holes. I want a 900 billion dollar monument to chaos that looks like anthropomorphic robotic-volcanoes erupting satanic-jizm backwards into the earth’s core. I want an orgy or pure kinetic hell flowing over battlefields filled with mechanical nightmares. I want to see robotic-nazi-sympathizing-puma-shaped-demons and Michael Bay himself jousting each other simultaneously at light-speed in full renaissance regalia. I want no-dialogue, except for a series of digitized grunts that can’t be heard over the Linkin Park soundtrack that is intentionally peaking the theater’s speaker system. I want a plot that spans the timeline of infinity, yet fits into 2 hours. I want trillions of robotic minions, each with hundreds of thousands of moving parts, fighting wars on the surface of Alpha Centauri…all fully rendered in such extreme detail, in such a wide shot, that it simply all just looks like filmed fire.

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I want Michael Bay to go so overboard with Transformers 3: Universe Explosion, that the United Nations arrests him for crimes against humanity due to the gross waste of natural, financial, and human resources that they feel has directly contributed, via neglect, to the deaths-by-starvation of billions. Until then, however, it seems Bay is content making these boring, little art house films.

ANGLE #4: BITTER

[see “NORMAL” above]

Okay, that last angle was a cheat. Sorry, couldn’t help it. Thanks for reading!

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June 18, 2009

Trailer Park: THE PROPOSAL – Review

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — admin @ 8:04 pm

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies.Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp

SCREENINGS, SCREENINGS, SCREENINGS

bruno_poster I know, it sucks when you don’t live in New York or LA.

They get all the good things but the nice thing about having me around like a corpse you decide to stick in a chair, just taking up space and requiring no maintenance at all, is that it’s a good thing to live in the Valley of the Sun. I know it’s been strange around here as of late if you were to listen to Howard Stern, with there being a runoff election being decided by cutting a deck of cards (yeah, we’re real progressive in this state) and some a-hole who tried to end it all by sticking a samurai sword in the steering wheel and trying to ram a wall only to go through the goddamn wall and end up not finishing what he started, but I’ve got screenings to invite you to: BRÃœNO and, later in July, FUNNY PEOPLE.

BRÃœNO will be screening on July 7 at Harkins Tempe Marketplace and FUNNY PEOPLE will be screening on July 28 at Harkins Tempe Marketplace.

I hope to have more information on how many tickets I’ll have for each but until that time, block out your calendars as scuttlebutt has been pretty positive for both.

TWITTER CHAT WITH THE DIRECTOR OF FOOD, INC. THIS FRIDAY AT 10 am PST

food-inc-poster No, I haven’t been able to see this documentary about all the lovely things that go into making our meals but word’s been good for this movie and now you can feel free to talk directly to the director himself. Now, I’m still on the fence about how “interviews” on Twitter can be effective but if any of you give this a whirl and find it useful please let me know. The information for this follows below…

Food Inc. Live Twitter Chat with Director Robert Kenner this Friday at 10 am PST!

Food Inc opened in select markets last week to an overwhelming response! As we prepare to open around the country this Friday we want to give fans an opportunity to conduct a live twitter chat (at #foodinc) with the director, Robert Kenner.

It’s simple to participate. At 10am PST this Friday (June 19th) login to twitter and put #foodinc in the search bar and hit enter. You are now following the conversation! If you have a question, be sure to include the #foodinc tag. This way the question will stay on this thread. We hope for a large turnout so please be patient while we try to answer as many questions as possible. We appreciate your support in getting our vital message out to the public!

In the meantime, please follow Magnolia Pictures on twitter and Facebook for updates on Food Inc. and all of Magnolia’s upcoming films.

THE PROPOSAL – REVIEW

proposal There’s a moment in the movie when you realize that basing a review on its actual mechanics would be a fish/barrel situation.

For some reason, and if you just pay attention to the screen you’ll notice it, Alaskan Brewing Company has paid for a product placement. The movie takes place, for the most part, in Alaska and everyone seems hooked on Alaskan Amber. The bottle is everywhere and when you dig a little further into the line of brew this company puts out you see that they have 8 different varieties. This product placement is curious because you find your eye drifting to the red labels of this beer, extras are drinking it, Craig T. Nelson is drinking it, Sandra Bullock is drinking it, Malin Akerman is drinking it, the whole town seemed zombified by this beverage and, I’m pretty sure, this is not what you want someone like me doing while watching your film: wondering why everyone is hooked on Alaskan Amber and not their pale, IPA, ale, stout varieties. And this is all neither here nor there but this is what happens when you have a script that’s about as airy and delicately put together like a petite madeleine and performances from the likes of Bullock and Reynolds that, honestly, felt like they were done with about as much regard for the audience as a 10 year-old is on Valium. That said, though, you could have done a lot worse.

Noticing that this hackneyed story, the theme of the mean curmudgeon who suddenly has a new outlook on life by the end of the film, is something that is as old as time is eternal. THE PROPOSAL doesn’t look to blaze any new trails when it comes to the romantic comedy formula and, in fact, it takes some of the more basic elements of what makes them so enduring like bubblegum pop music. You have the wacky comedic relief played by Oscar Nunez who is absolutely the funniest thing in this film when you realize that he embraced the kind of role usually reserved for a John Turturro-type and explored all the ways in which he could make a true mark on this film; his unshaved bikini area absolutely solidified this. You have the wise one who knows what’s good for everyone, played here by Betty White who is just a delightful and spry actress who brings a bubbly effervescence to the role as the grandma who knows it all. You have the evil, metaphorically mustachioed, character that is looking to tear everything asunder, played here by Denis O’Hare whose character actually becomes funnier when he’s off camera at the end of the film. You also have the red herring of the group, Malin Akerman, who is not only wasted in her performance as an old girlfriend who, in other films, is used as someone who represents the lost lover who might-possibly-maybe be the one our protagonist decides to fall in love with instead but she’s horribly utilized in this movie. These four players represent what’s usually at the core for a successful romantic comedy and, to be fair, everyone does what they are supposed to do. They’re caricatures of real people and they play their far-removed-from-reality roles as best they can. It falls on Bullock and Reynolds to make it work.

The two of these actors work well with one another. Ryan Reynolds without question has the kind of comedic timing and subtlety necessary to make this movie more than just a bland story about how one person is going to need to marry the other in order to keep them in the country. Reynolds shines as someone who could actually bring a much needed relief to those who are dragged to these movies with their significant others (read here: men) because he understands the kind of movie he’s in. It’s not a question of whether or not he can pull it off, much like a Matthew McConaughey who embodies sleepwalking through a film as of late, but how he can make a film feel much more livelier than it isn’t. On paper this is about as routine as it comes, first time writer Pete Chiarrelli making good use of the basics in a romantic comedy that will bring people to the multiplex, and disappointingly it’s Sandra Bullock who fails to bring anything fresh to a genre that would have done well with some of what made her performance in 2006’s THE LAKE HOUSE a surprising delight.

Playing the shrew of a boss who no one likes respects or admires, stop me if you’ve heard that one before, the film goes out of its way to showcase Bullock as a woman who simply hates the world. I don’t think she loves anything, money, power, advantage, none of these things, as the film paints her an inhuman robot that not even the most testosterone fueled type-a personality would be able to match. That’s what makes her glorious transformation into a woman who can find love that much more grandiose but it genuinely does a disservice to a film that is broadcasting that it is simply a vehicle to make a buck and to be forgotten as soon as you walk out of the door. Bullock has her moments but, as the script is written, there isn’t much more she can do other than not exude a real human emotion for more than 1/2 of the film; it just doesn’t feel like acting, it’s more akin to following instructions on a piece of paper as if it were a table from Ikea that needs some assembly. She doesn’t acquit herself well in this role and it’s really not Bullock’s fault if you try and understand what’s really amiss. That fault lays at the feet of Anne Fletcher who has been in this territory before.

Bursting on the scene like an adolescent zit, Fletcher gave us her opening salvo as a director, the abominable STEP UP in 2006. This gave her enough juice to take the reigns of the genuinely terrible 27 DRESSES. DRESSES, if you read some of the comments leveled at her by other critics, garnered the same criticism which I am leveling at it. THE PROPOSAL feels like a movie that is devoid of any human tethering. From its unnatural use of lighting, set design and set-ups you would be hard pressed to find a modicum of reality stitched within the layers of this rancid onion. Craig T. Nelson feels like a caricature of a dad who is having trouble connecting with his son, the mother feels like an oblivious opposite to Nelson’s distant behavior and the film suffers as if it were a sitcom put to celluloid. Truly, if you want to know why some films are critic proof the answer is embedded within this film. It is because there is nothing of value to criticize. Like the petite madeleine the film crumbles upon inspection. It cannot stand up to someone taking the movie to task for all its shortcomings because, yes, it would be like picking on someone smaller than you, weaker than you. It’s strength is in its weakness and middle America is going to devour and eat this up.

This is Ryan Reynold’s film and thankfully he makes all this pap tolerable as it’s forced down the gullet of your brain. Should you find yourself laughing it’s not because there isn’t anything to laugh as there are a few good moments but a few moments does not a movie make. It may be good enough for the ladies of America who believe this movie is what they’re looking for this summer but they would much be better served with a movie that comes out next month, 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, a movie that wants to be more than a romantic comedy; it wants to be remembered.

THE PROPOSAL is a film that you can tolerate, even enjoy, for its run time. There are more than enough moments for those with a low threshold of what they find funny to laugh at, and it will most certainly entertain them, but for those who are looking for a film they would actually want to enjoy beyond the superficiality of its plot I would recommend to keep looking.

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June 13, 2009

Trailer Park: THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 – Review

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Tony Scott — admin @ 10:21 pm

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies.Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp

Note Bene: It’s been a long week for and I have some great news to share next week about a writing project that has a lot to do with a documentary and John Hughes. Stay tuned…

PUBLIC ENEMIES – Arizona Screening

pe_field_300x250 So, is it bad that I hope this is the real summer movie that Christian Bale is in?

I know a lot of whiners out there want to take the movie to task for using digital but I, for one, applaud Michael Mann for using what worked for well for him in COLLATERAL and MIAMI VICE. Those two movies benefited from a technology that brought a different film going experience to the multiplex. It’s obvious some people like it, some not but Christian Bale and Johnny Depp? I’m sorry but Bruce Wayne in his non-Batman throaty scratch and Depp playing a role that doesn’t require him channeling Keith Richards is a movie I want to see.

So, if you’re free June 25th and can make it to Harkins Fashion Square for a sneak preview then I will have passes for you, some of you anyway. Shoot me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com and I’ll enter you for a chance to win.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 – Review

taking_of_pelham_1-2-3_2009 It’s nice that my parents finally have a summer movie to call their own.

The biggest problem I have with this film, which is about as close as a Paint-By-Numbers exercise in filmmaking as you can get when you consider how rote Tony Scott’s direction is in this clone of a movie, is how utterly vapid and cardboard the characters are.

You’ve got a tougher than sun dried leather man in John Travolta playing the film’s resident badass, Ryder. His foil, the angel to his devil on his shoulder, is Walter Garber played by Denzel Washington. For those who need the crash course in what this movie is about, it seems that Ryder wants to hijack a subway car for a lump sum of cash. Garber is a dispatcher who just happens to be at the other end of the call demanding that money but the issues that are glaringly obvious as soon as this plot starts to push forward like a labored moving subway car is that the movie can’t capture the same riveting intimacy as the 1974 classic because Scott wants to employ all the frenetic camera movements, and we’ll get into this shortly, in his wheelhouse. The problem is that this isn’t a movie that is served by quick shots, sets drenched in hazy green lighting, stylized slo-motion clips or, quite literally, spastic camera jiggling. 1974’s version of PELHAM worked because it didn’t have the same access to effect work as Scott obviously does and, here’s the thing, wants to remind you that he’s in charge of directing this thing.

This film doesn’t need to be treated as an equal to the previous PELHAM, it is obvious it has no concern for it, but if what we have in the first 1/3rd of this movie is so appallingly numbing with its insistence on pushing its literal vision on an audience there shouldn’t be any reason why any other part of the film should be regarded with any care as well. Lucky for us, Scott doesn’t.

The performances that are eked out of Travolta is nothing short of campy and should be placed in the realm of bombastic simply for the sake of it, Denzel seemingly sleepwalking through a role that has about as much weight as a dozen balloons filled with helium. This ought to be a film about a savvy mastermind who wants to mete out his revenge in a thoughtful, dramatic fashion and who has no qualms about taking the lives of those he’s taken hostage. A simple illustrative comparison of what made Hans Gruber such a sinister bad guy was that he was at once suave, intelligent and dangerously cold blooded. Both films used the idea of having a crime take place in a tight, confined space, and I realize these are two different kinds of films, but Hans was a character that was used to a lot better effect than Travolta hamming it up here was able to do. Travolta is PLAYING the part of being a telephone tough guy but he isn’t tough, he’s all bark. It’s only because the script calls for him to pop a guy or two that you believe he’s capable of killing as he certainly doesn’t earn any genuine intimidation when he’s on the screen.

Now, Denzel, on the other hand, deserves a little bit more credit but not much. Playing a character who’s on probation for suspicion for doing something so morally objectionable certainly doesn’t display any of the affectations of someone who is at the precipice of losing it all. The character he plays isn’t as likable, to drag this comparison back to DIE HARD, as Sgt. Al Powell who also had to use nothing but a microphone to sell his character. Denzel had to act against a microphone and does a pretty decent job. I say decent because there isn’t any way I could care less or more about his circumstances. I don’t know whether I should think he’s just an innocent man caught up in a dire situation or if he’s just as bad as the guy leading the hijacking; obviously, there is an overt difference between the two but the problem is the movie doesn’t make that distinction. It lets that sort of float out there in the ether of flashy editing. The movie misses a great opportunity to differentiate the two men or to completely muddle the idea that maybe they aren’t different. We just don’t know and that’s the failure of the film: it doesn’t want to invest in any emotional tethering.

I want to feel a certain amount of pity for Denzel. I want to believe that there might be a way to get through to Travolta. I certainly want to feel something. But with all the other circus characters that are introduced James Gandolfini (the Mayor of New York), John Turturro (the negotiator), and a host of others just become dizzying distractions to what is already a mess of lifeless corpses. I simply don’t care about, nor am I given much reason to, anyone here. Sure, Denzel is the real protagonist here but simply because someone is put in a dire situation doesn’t mean you earn the right for me to care. There is a real opportunity missed in turning the one moment of this film where the line between thief and thief is blurred and making that a touchstone. No, we’re just pushed along because Scott has a finish line, and dammit, we’re going to make it. The final 20 minutes of this film are genuinely anticlimactic in the very worst sense. There is no danger, no imminent danger to anyone, no real threat and that’s one of the greatest crimes committed against audiences who deserve to be thrilled and who are only left mildly piqued by what they’re given.

That brings us to Tony Scott’s direction.

I’ve never really seen a movie that embodies the idea of over stylized than I did as Scott employed the very same tricks here as he has with DOMINO and DEJA VU. Not only that but should a viewer be more consumed with wondering why a scene suddenly ends with a freeze frame or wondering why the camera seemingly is having an epileptic fit in the middle of a scene or why any number of overtly in-your-face shaky cam sequences are employed one after another? No, as the filmmaker’s job is not to be there but to lead you to one moment to the next without ever making their presence felt. If I am wrong about that assumption then I take back all I’ve said about being aware every few minutes that this was absolutely, positively, without question a Tony Scott film.

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June 5, 2009

Trailer Park: THE HANGOVER – Review

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: Ed Helms, movie, Review, The Hangover, Todd Phillips, Zach Galifianakis — admin @ 2:11 am

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp

THE HANGOVER – Review

A ra-tard.

A ra-tard is perhaps the one word that I have been chewing on like a cow gums cud for weeks after seeing THE HANGOVER. It’s delivered by Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and it’s such a non sequitur, one of many, that you wonder what’s taken so long to get Zach into the mix of modern cinematic comedy; he’s the cosmic little brother of Danny McBride. And it’s Zach who illustrates why THE HANGOVER is the comedy that will keep people coming back for a 2nd or 3rd viewing.

What everyone should know going into this film is that the premise of it is deceptively simple: Doug Billings (Justin Bartha) is going to Vegas to have a bachelor party. Aided by an ethically challenged mischief maker Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), browbeaten and p-whipped whipping boy Stu Price (Ed Helms) and Alan the boys go off to enjoy an evening of frivolity and licentiousness. The brilliance of the comedy really begins after we’ve established who everyone is and are watching these gents offer a toast to one another as they look forward to their last evening with their bachelor friend.

Time fast forwards without you seeing nary a moment more of the evening and you have a scene that is reminiscent of the SIXTEEN CANDLES after-party when we find Farmer Ted trapped in a table. Here, though, that table is shattered, furniture is smoldering, nudity abounds and there’s a tiger in the toilet.

The non-linear storytelling is a unique way to tell the story even if this wasn’t a comedy. It’s a bold decision to make because we don’t know, aren’t told and there are not any convenient flashback sequences to assist in filling in the gaps as we get acquainted with the reasons why their very expensive hotel suite has gone from pristine to thrashed and why Doug is MIA. Now, and of course, we’ll eventually figure out why there’s a big tiger hanging out in their bathroom but Todd Phillips as a director metes out the information in small bites, opening up the ability to have Galifianakis, Cooper and Helms to really explore the comedic possibilities of what did happen last night.

The mix of performers here is what heightens the comedic effect of two comedians doing their thing and one actor who is just reacting to the obnoxiousness of it all. To that point, this is really an ensemble comedy, much like Phillips’ ROAD TRIP where you have a non-comedian in Breckin Meyer who was at the center of the maelstrom that was Seann William Scott and company, and that is spearheaded by Galifianakis and Helms. The former, a celebrated underground comedian who trades in the sharpest forms of subtlety, and the latter, in Helms, who has been a periphery player in another ensemble comedy, The Office. The pair are one/two punches of non-stop quips, parries, offhanded comments and totally wrong behaviors. To wit, Galifianakis’ opening salvo to the puerile funny about to be unleashed on the audience has him taking a baby, who they’ve just happened to find in their hotel room, an using the child’s hand to perform auto erotica. Yeah, it’s not going to be your parents’ STARSKY AND HUTCH.

While these gents try and piece together what exactly happened to their missing groom (his disappearance is one of the better sleight of hands in cinema as of late as you almost think of him as an afterthought while the film progresses) the wackiness that ensues is really the core of the film’s comedy. You have improbable characters popping up left and right, you’ve got a nude man who makes a break for it after climbing on Bradley Cooper like a spider monkey and the number of sub-plots abounds. One of those plots, where Helms finds out he married a Vegas stripper is one of the more heartfelt moments (if this could even be classified as one) throughout the film as Stu really goes far afield for the usual henpecked man who finds the stones to stand up to his domineering significant other but he makes it work to great comedic effect. Bradley Cooper, meanwhile is just the face man throughout this circus; he’s just a willing accomplice to the frivolity and the profane that happens as they track down their missing groom. The real star here in this movie is Galifianakis.

His strange, Asperger inspired behavior is the real treat that you should be watching as he is part enigma, part sideshow. He’s more than willing to go along with the physical humor required of him when the boys make their way to a police station and he’s incredible at not letting on to anything remotely funny that escapes his lips. He makes you work for the comedy, his dry wit translates well to a movie that depends heavily on some of the basest forms of modern comedy (nudity, slapstick, bestiality, et al..) but it’s his perceived innocence that makes him the true darling of this movie. You almost fear for his well being as the boys get into physical altercation after altercation and he knows how to make mental illness funny again. He’s the man you root for. He’s the guy who can deliver a joke about roofies with not so much as a smirk on his face. This movie is the vehicle, I will assert, that captures his comedic essence and, equally assert, it’s a shame that I predict you won’t see it in its natural form on the big screen any time soon.

Ed Helms acquits himself well in this movie as the film’s resident p-whipped weakling but Helms displays the ability to not only display humor in a broad, bombastic way but he’s just as razor sharp if you compare him to Galifianakis. Helms’ most nuanced line comes as the boys come back to their hotel room after a long day of searching for Doug. They are no doubt exhausted and as one of them complains of having a foggy head Galifianakis makes a quick remark to which Helms picks right back up to score one of the best lines in the film.

Cooper, for his part, just plays well with others. He isn’t especially compelling but he is the Moe to the other Stooges on display and, in fact, provides a real weight to the film’s narrative. He brings a level head, a suave tone and simply makes the film nicer to look at. From knowing how to wrangle Galifianakis, to dealing with the police when it’s time to strike a deal Cooper is exactly what this film needs.

This movie couldn’t be any more recommended. It is absolutely the reason to go to the movies if what you need is just a good laugh. It is so out there, so bizzarre, so completely unrealistic that it finally brings Todd Phillips back to where he belongs: in an elevator getting head. His last few films have been weak entries into a career where his only aim should be to figure out how to be incredibly entertaining, fantastically out there while employing the talents of those, and this is key, who know how to be funny. Anything less would warrant having a roofie popped in your Pepsi before going in to see it.

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May 29, 2009

Trailer Park: DRAG ME TO HELL

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: Alison Lohman, Christopher Young, Ivan Raimi, justin long, Lorna Raver, Sam Raimi — admin @ 2:59 am

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on TWITTER under the name: Stipp

land_of_the_lostposter

LAND OF THE LOST – SCREENING

Who here is from Arizona?

Who has some time next Tuesday to see a screening of LAND OF THE LOST, starring Will Ferrell and Danny McBride? I have passes galore for some lucky Quick Stop Entertainment readers so if you’re going to be around please shoot me a note at Christopher_Stipp@Yahoo.com and I’ll make sure you get in.

For those of you who are still in the dark about the film, here’s a breakdown:

Space-time vortexes suck.

Will Ferrell stars as has-been scientist Dr. Rick Marshall, sucked into one and spat back through time. Way back. Now, Marshall has no weapons, few skills and questionable smarts to survive in an alternate universe full of marauding dinosaurs and fantastic creatures from beyond our world – a place of spectacular sights and super-scaled comedy known as the Land of the Lost.

Sucked alongside him for the adventure are crack-smart research assistant Holly (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride) named Will. Chased by T. rex and stalked by painfully slow reptiles known as Sleestaks, Marshall, Will and Holly must rely on their only ally – a primate called Chaka (Jorma Taccone) – to navigate out of the hybrid dimension. Escape from this routine expedition gone awry and they’re heroes. Get stuck, and they’ll be permanent refugees in the Land of the Lost.

Based on the classic television series created by Sid & Marty Krofft, Land of the Lost is directed by Brad Silberling and produced by Jimmy Miller and Sid & Marty Krofft.

Doctor Who S4 - The Next Doctor DR. WHO?

People love their Dr. Who.

While I could never get into it in the way a lot of you do I just received this in my in-box and thought I would share with the fellow geek community if you didn’t already know.

I remember being in 8th grade and having a friend who was REALLY into it. Even then I could see it was a really important series to some people so I figure this is my way of helping out a contingent of people who have a deep reverence for this program. I am equally a fan of BBC America and think that the programming on that channel whips the tar out of 90% of our own domestic network offerings (Check out Skins, people…Seriously…) so I like to help when I can. Without any ado here is the release…

U.S. PREMIERE OF DOCTOR WHO SPECIALS ON BBC AMERICA

– BBC AMERICA premieres five specials from TV’s longest running sci-fi series –

New York, NY ““ May 28, 2009 ““ BBC AMERICA today announced the acquisition of five new specials from Doctor Who, television’s longest running science fiction series and a global phenomenon. The deal gives the cable channel the exclusive first window to the Doctor Who 2009 Specials (4 x 60), the final four adventures of the tenth Time Lord played by David Tennant. As part of the same deal, BBC AMERICA acquired the 2008 Christmas Special, The Next Doctor featuring David Morrissey and Dervla Kirwan. It will air Saturday, June 27, 2009.

The first of the 2009 specials, Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead, premieres in July. As a London red bus takes a detour to an alien world it forces the Doctor (Tennant) to work with the extraordinary Lady Christina (Michelle Ryan, Bionic Woman). But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets hidden in the sand and time is running out as the deadly Swarm gets closer.

“The outstanding quality of the Doctor Who scripts from Russell T Davies and the on-screen dynamic that David Tennant brings to the role are a magic combination for our viewers. Russell’s spin-off series Torchwood is already our highest rated show on the channel and I know the fans will follow these new specials with equal passion and support. We’re thrilled to bring this iconic show to BBC AMERICA, home of the best British sci-fi programming on television,” says President, BBC Worldwide America Garth Ancier.

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars is the second special and along with the two additional untitled specials will premiere later in 2009 and early 2010.

Building off the successful Supernatural Saturdays programming block, Doctor Who will be leveraged across multiple platforms including Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead, the first Doctor Who DVD to be released on Blu-ray, shortly after the U.S. broadcast premiere.

The writers are Russell T Davies and Gareth Roberts (The Sarah Jane Adventures) with Executive Producers Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner (Torchwood, Life on Mars). It is a BBC production and distributed by BBC Worldwide.

drag-me-to-hell-poster DRAG ME TO HELL – REVIEW

David: Have you seen the movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

Anna-Maria: No. It is good?

David: Oh, I’ve got to tell you, I love this film. It had passion and a plucky spirit. And, the characters had integrity, like when Leatherface went on that strict diet of human flesh, he had to cut out chicken and fish completely.

Francis “Chainsaw” Grimp: Dave, I agree with you. I’ll go a step further, sure Leatherface, he wore a mask made out of human skin, and he hung people on meat-hooks, but hey, we’ve all got quirks, I got ’em, you’ve got ’em Dave, that’s what makes this character so, so compelling. Thumbs up for me.

David: Same here.

Francis “Chainsaw” Grimp: To sum it up, I’m Chainsaw . . .

David: I’m Dave.
Francis “Chainsaw” Grimp and David: Will see you . . . At the Movies.

– SUMMER SCHOOL, 1987

It was a tenuous peace at first but, Lord, did I almost have to look away by the end.

When first we meet Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), a beautiful heroine if ever there was one, not strikingly gorgeous nor feeble and weak as so many other films would have made her, she’s introduced as a bland loan officer who works for a one-dimensional boss by the name of Mr. Jacks (played pitch perfectly by David Paymer). Christine and her weasel of a co-worker are vying for a promotion within the small bank where they work.

The seemingly bland and head-scratchingly inane set-up had me wondering momentarily whether I had walked into a movie that would be just yet another entry into the horror genre this year (think MY BLOODY VALENTINE, FRIDAY THE 13TH, et al.) where spectacle is being used as a replacement for genuine thrills and chills. DRAG ME TO HELL separates itself from its predecessors precisely at the moment when we meet Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver). Decrepit, frail and overtly disgusting she is everything that Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees as of late are not and that is unnerving. Raver is perhaps the one linchpin in making this film far more original than clichÃ©; I have no qualms at admitting that merely reflecting on her role in its entirety still raises little bumps of flesh on the back of my neck. She is played with the right amount of camp and eerie sensibility.

The movie has such a basic and forced beginning, you almost start wondering what the hype is all about, that when things start getting fantastical it thrusts the film’s hum-drum reality into a sphere . Much of believing in this character’s universe, obviously, goes to director/writer Sam Raimi and his brother Ivan Raimi for establishing such a compelling premise. What’s more is that the two of them seem to be operating at a level that is not meant to be demeaning or insulting and, point of fact, are playing around in a sandbox of fundamentals. Fundamentals with regard to getting at what makes a good scare, to not having one jump out of your skin moment but to pummel you continuously with them at any one time, creating one-note characters (read here: Justin Long’s parents, Lohman’s boss, co-worker) who only help to serve the spooky vibe of the film and not take away from it, wrapping absurdist comedy up within moments that shouldn’t have it and, finally, how to keep you locked in and keyed up to what’s happening.

All of these elements come in to play continuously throughout the film but when Lohman is thrust into the cursed world of the Lamia through a quite disconcerting battle between her and Mrs. Ganush there couldn’t be a more precise distillation of all these elements into one prickly scene that, if you are fully on-board with the movie, properly punches your ticket into one of the best reasons to be in the theater this summer. From the fight to the eventual curse that is put upon her this is beats out any battle you’ll get in the month of May from any other blockbuster playing at the multiplex.

As the film progresses you can’t help but feel a strong connection to the story. Sam and Ivan deserve the kind of credit that you would give to an author like Stephen King but the ruse is that they’re not like Stephen, and this isn’t meant as a slap, they’re more on par with Richard Matheson or authors like him. The story feels small, intimate, powerful. Some of the best horror fiction, for me anyway, always centers on the personal and individual circumstance. There is no room for sprawling narratives in these stories and this movie should be applauded for keeping things tight. As it weaves its reality, Lohman employing the help of soothsayer and psychic Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) to deconstruct what she needs to do in order to unsaddle herself from the eventual demise that is coming for her. Rao is given a bit part, for sure, but his presence in this film is quite entertaining as he provides the push needed for the events to unravel as they do.

Justin Long, for his part, plays his role better than anyone in his position has a right to as it is just a role that you see in countless other horror films where you have to have the sensitive significant other who has to sympathize, but not necessarily do anything about, the present condition of the protagonist. It’s a throwaway role, almost, but Long is delightful as the concerned boyfriend who can’t do anything about his lady’s impending doom and, almost like Rao, only serves the plot when needed. In terms of leanness and scales of economy, taking a page from writers who are good at not adding anything that doesn’t serve the plot, there isn’t a wasted character or needless inclusion of a hot best friend, a little kid or any number of other insignificant elements that drag some horror films, and their pacing along with it, down.

It’s about here where talking any more about the film’s cracks, crags and nuances would only serve to spoil what should be experienced as cold as possible. The thrill of this film is not knowing too much about what is to follow, expecting and knowing where a scare is coming from only defeats the great triumph of the Raimis. Sam has managed, SPIDER-MAN 3 be damned, to actually go back to what made him such an endearing element to independent horror fans. I will however make note of the scene where Lohman needs to visit a graveyard where she expects to rid herself of the foul curse that saddles her soul.

Lohman’s moments in the comedically stereotype that is a Raimi graveyard is played with the kind of ferocity, brutality, excitement and sexiness (the delicately brushed away mud splash on her porcelain white skin was a nice touch) that I came to love and fear in a similar moment in POLTERGEIST during a pool scene many here should know all too well. The gross-out factor is compounded by a few things but, again, the moment is tinged with both abject horror and farcical humor in a blend that deserves not to be spoiled by anyone much less me.

And, it should be mentioned, you may not notice the work Sam does with sound and music throughout but he deserves kudos here as well. He pays attention to the way sounds move within the speaker field and Christopher Young’s excellent and chilling score only helps to accentuate the action on the screen.

DRAG ME TO HELL is a wondrous film going experience that not only reminds you why horror can be so much more than just updating it to satisfy the torture porn sensibilities of young moviegoers who demand their horror to be brutal. The Raimis give the kind of scares that are worth so much more than the quick cuts, slick production values and ostentatiousness of films in its genre. The movie reads like a delicious short story that you want to read again just so you can see if it hits the same high points.

If ever there was a reason to get out and enjoy a movie with dozens of others, if only to hear the squeals and screams of others in attendence, DRAG ME TO HELL is it.

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May 27, 2009

Opinion In A Haystack: UP Makes Children Cry

Filed under: Opinion In A Haystack,Reviews — Tags: a bug's life, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Captain Kirk, cars, disney, finding nemo, ghostbusters, incredibles, john connor, mcg, monster's inc., night at the museum, outlaw josey wales, Pixar, reno 911, Review, star trek, terminator, terminator salvation, up, Wall-E — admin @ 11:59 pm

Hollywood hates children. Well, nowadays, for the most part. The past decade has seen a decline in the realm of family films so drastic it’s almost embarrassing to behold. A constant barrage of sub-par, placating, dreck that insults the intelligence of the child and the adult they will one day grow to be. Substance and craft are no longer the main concerns for children and families, simply be garish, be happy, and NEVER be realistic in tone (DEATH DOESN’T EXIST, ONLY iPods DO!!!) The youth of today have virtually nothing to grow up with and rediscover as surprisingly well-made entertainment, all they have is films equivalent to my generation’s Masters Of The Universe (great for nostalgia, not so great for adult criticism.) They need, and deserve, more fare like Beetlejuice, Return to Oz, Gremlins, or The Neverending Story (yes, I’m bias)… films where they grow up, re-watch and think “Holy hell! This was for kids?” They are feeding them messy piles of sugary air such as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, or Night At The Museum (1 or 2, take your pick), which are so hackneyed and sloppy that the slightest hint of adolescent logic or understanding of story structure forces them to collapse under their own faulty welds and lashings. However, in a world of film that treats kids like permanently-imbecilic-spider-monkeys, there is still Pixar.

And Pixar has balls. SEXY. PLUMP. BALLS.

Not even going to bother jumping on the Pixar worship-wagon here. You know, as well as I do, about their reputation and their increasingly growing catalogue of well-crafted films that are arguably genre masterpieces (Wall-E, The Incredibles) or great against all odds (Cars: completely entertaining in spite of stilted-premise and Larry The Cable Guy.) Up continues this trend, possibly in the animation house’s greatest triumph of supremely original ideas and adult-story-telling-for-kids.

The film opens by following the life, from pre-adolescence to golden years, of Carl Fredricksen (voiced by the great Ed Asner.) He is an old man with an unfulfilled dream of adventuring in the South American wilderness and a home that is being strangled by industrial development. In short, he ties thousands upon thousands of balloons to his house and floats away, toward South America, on what is to be the last adventure of his life, one that he is forced to share with a young boy who inadvertently is on his porch during take off. Simple right? Odd right? Confusing right? Right, but it’s the approach that matters.

Amongst the fantastical elements in the film, the ones that can be seen in the trailer, like a house being floated by mere balloons, talking dogs, or elderly men being WAY too physically active for their own good, Up has a grounded heart and realism in place that metaphorically punches the adult-mind in the gut, and righteously, yet not viciously, sprays pepper-sauce in children’s faces (the kid next to me in the theater cried A LOT.) The movie deals with death, abandonment, and the loss of heroes at the fore front of its surface.

******************SPOILERS START HERE**************************

This blunt realism kicks right off, as the beginning of the film introduces us to the epitomes of pure cuteness and naivete that are young Carl and Ellie (his future wife.) They both seek adventure and have the same hero, Charles Muntz (voiced by the legendary Christopher Plummer), and we are treated to a montage of their life together. We witness their marriage, their home life, their romance, their laughter, and eventually, their inability to conceive children (yup,) and ultimately their parting. THAT’S RIGHT. Ellie dies. Not just dies, but dies in a montage around 20 minutes or so into the film… Pixar sets you up, and knocks you down… all to the loving tunes of a soothing and sad score. All that went through my mind was “Holy hell! This is for kids?” Which, trust me, is a huge compliment.

Pixar’s balls, by this point in the movie are already huge and pulsating, but they still get even bigger. The reason Carl even floats his home in the first place is because the government is taking it away and forcing him into a retirement-home due to him attacking a construction worker with his cane (drawing blood!) Through the course of the film we also see Carl discover that his (and Ellie’s) childhood hero is a deranged, psychopathic, MULTI-murderer and that the kid, Russell, has a deadbeat dad who basically wouldn’t care if he lives or dies… we even see dogs getting hurt and possibly killed (due to their own actions, its not Pixar’s Hostel.) Topping off the dark tones found here is a joke played on the audience that is so genius, cruel and hilarious that scriptwriter Bob Peterson must have been laughing since the day he put it on paper. I won’t spoil it for you. Heh.

******************END SPOILERS*******************

Up‘s realism, risks, and complimentary attitude toward the audience is not the only positive however. In no way am I trying to sell it on the merits of making children cry alone… ok, maybe a little. It is also quite successful on all other standard fronts, and it’s got plenty of well-executed laughs and a grand vibrant color scheme. The script is extremely original, not to mention the cast of characters which includes a huge bird, Dug the Dog, and his fellow army of talking K-9 brethren. Dug is the comedic stand out of the movie, as his dialogue perfectly plays out the awkward nature of how dogs would actually sound if they could miraculously speak English. All the main players in the movie get their own small, but useful, character-arcs… even the bird (oddly the only character not able to speak.)

The fantastical elements are handled in a way that doesn’t grate the logic. Unlike sloppy piles of confusion like the continuity, rules, or consistency of the magic tablet in Night At The Museum 2, the material here is given mystery and logic where it needs it, and glazes over where it doesn’t… which is why you wont be questioning how Muntz (Christopher Plummer) invented a collar that translates dog speak to English, or how those balloons wouldn’t remotely lift that house, let alone tear it from it’s foundation (I believe Mythbusters tested a similar idea, and it was only picking up the weight of a single child)

The triumph of the animation here is that Pixar does make art, but they don’t try to re-invent the wheel when the wheel is working just fine. The movie is absolutely beautiful, not as visually breath taking as Wall-E, but still it looks fantastic. The blocking of some of the scenes is incredible, the little house mushroom-topped with a cloud of balloons floating across a vast blue sky in an ultra-wide shot is iconic and slightly haunting, especially considering the “rainbow” visual of the balloons. Up, much like most of Pixar’s flicks, excels in its craft (from all angles, writing, direction, choreography) and not merely in the technology of the craft. The digital 3D print is especially gorgeous, and is highly recommended.

It’s not often that a bitter old grump like me sees a film and can’t find too much negative to say about it. If I had to really rack my brain, I guess I could say the only problem was that maybe the movie makes Carl too much of a physical action hero at times, considering his age, but it’s handled with such care in the narrative of the movie, so its not a big deal, and certainly not out-weighing the good. This is probably Pixar’s least marketable film yet, being so morbid an odd. The less broad they get, the better they get…which is kind of a mind boggler when concerning Pixar… how do they continue to get better? How? In this case most of the praise should be directed toward director Pete Doctor, who some how improved on his wonderful Monsters Inc. with this new offering.

Also, just to put things into perspective, this review was written by someone who doesn’t even honestly like computer-generated animation at all, and who has really never publicly “sucked off” Pixar. Up was just class-A entertainment, and perhaps an arguable masterpiece in the family film genre. It’s good to know that this generation has at least a few movies, like Up, to grow older with and re-watch and see the adult themes, the quality craftsmanship and exclaim “This was for kids?”

QUICK THOUGHTS AND RANDOM BITS

Star Trek: a few weeks later…

J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek was great fun. As a die hard Original-Cast-film fan, still have no debilitating complaints… except, upon further reflection… it was great, but it really just isn’t Star Trek. Long Live Shatner.

Annoyed at “revisiting” reviews

Something that grates on the nerves is when an old franchise is resurrected (Terminator) or announced to be resurrected (Ghostbusters) and we have to sit through a plethora of reviews, rants, and ravings by young-ins saying how the originals (T1, T2, Ghostbusters) are overrated in the first place. Just want to say: SHUT UP JUNIOR! Your ill-informed meandering is not making your CGI-raped re-imagining any less horrendous.

What’s in a name?

If you hate McG, director of Terminator Salvation, simply because of his name then your opinion is invalid. First, his real name is McGinty, “McG” is the nickname given to him by his family… it’s not a self-chosen moniker due to douchebaggery. Second, hate him because his movies are sub-par… even though to hear the guy talk it really seems like he is actually trying, just failing miserably.

Exterminators exterminate… so Terminators should… ?

If you are going to make Terminator 4, if you just can’t help but do it, and you have to make it a heaping pile of poorly constructed blandness… could you at least follow the one rule that even the hokey Terminator 3 didn’t break? If a Terminator, no matter what make or model, gets its hands on a human, don’t let the machine give a dramatic pause, don’t let the machine just “play around” with them, let them INSTANTLY kill. Terminator 1-3 never let the villains even touch the targets… why? Because they are terminators, they would terminate at all costs. Why couldn’t you at least follow this logic? Why sir?

It works in Reno, but not at the multiplex.

Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon, You were great writers on The State, and are hilarious writers on Reno 911!, so how come every time you make the leap to film its completely dreadful? Taxi (the Queen Latifah movie), Balls of Fury, The Pacifier, Let’s Go To Prison, Herbie Fully Loaded, Night at the Museum, Night at the Museum 2: Battle for the Smithsonian… Your film work reads like the listings for a multiplex in the deepest circles of hell… what is going on there guys?

There is always room for Jell-O… and more Bitterness!

Got into an argument with a young “film buff” who was saying that The Dark Knight and Iron Man are better films then The Outlaw Josey Wales, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, and Apocalypse Now. Is there any hope for the future?

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May 22, 2009

Trailer Park: TERMINATOR SALVATION

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: Anton Yelchin, Christian Bale, Crow, film, Hunt For Red October, Jack Ryan, James Cameron, Matrix, Moon Bloodgood, movie, Review, Sam Worthington — admin @ 2:23 am

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp

A lot of talk this week about Quentin Tarantino’s newest film screening at Cannes. Consensus? It’s talky, light on action and seems like a WWII DEATH PROOF.

TERMINATOR SALVATION – REVIEW

There absolutely shouldn’t have been any blessing given from James Cameron with regard to TERMINATOR SALVATION. The only religious intonations given over this movie should have been its last rites.

Now, I can’t stop you from seeing this movie. You will see it irrespective of anything I have to say on this. I realize this.

You’ve been sold on it, I was sold on it, director McG’s P.T. Barnum huckster antics during preview showcases to fanboys teased and titillated audiences everywhere (“I really fought hard for those mammaries to be in there, fellas!”) but there is no escaping the fact that behind the tell-tale daa-daa-daa-daa-daa drum beat we all know as the sonic opening calling card for this franchise is nothing but a lot of smoke and a weak film. A film, mind you, which McG himself said should speak for itself. If it did it would say: Don’t spend $10 on me. Wait for Netflix.

There are a few things that make this a truly remarkable misstep in a franchise that should have ended 2 films ago but one of them comes early on as we meet John Connor (Christian Bale) who absolutely owns the first few minutes of the film in the way he carries his heavy burden as the leader for the resistance and the Batman-like voice with which he wants reality to conform to his own. He’s badass, he chews nails for fun and he’s not going to let crashing in a helicopter, which is a great special effects moment in this film, stop him from thrashing a terminator that deserves leaded violence.

The problems begin with the moments following when Bale is flying over an ocean, wanting to get back to resistance headquarters. He’s been beat up, almost killed and is denied entry to the underwater base of operations. But that’s not going to stop him from getting in! Much like another summer movie hero from over two decades ago, Jack Ryan in HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, he’s going to get on that damn sub. The fundamental issue which is wholly representative of what ails this movie is that in OCTOBER there was some emotional weight, genuine drama as he unhooked himself from that line to get in that submarine; there was tension, mood, atmosphere, a real sense of danger. Bale’s bullheaded bravado, masked by the tired trope of cinematic bullheaded machismo as he flippantly tosses himself out of the low flying aircraft into the ocean, is nothing more than a cheap way to try and make this guy seem like a real tough guy.

When next we see Bale, he’s sitting in a chair looking all kinds of torqued, moody, getting chewed out by Michael Ironside, playing a character I am not unsure of whether is any different than we saw from any number of 80’s movies where his role is to try and be an even tougher character than those he’s acting opposite of, all the while it begs the question of how much suspension of disbelief is going to be required of me in this film?

It’s a trick question, of course, as the film has moments like this peppered throughout the entire film. For example, the people who have been living without real homes since Judgment Day. They’re fantastically dirty and dusty but the glare coming off their teeth as their lips and faces are sullied with the detritus of a cataclysmic event reminds you that at least they have their Colgate. Another: When Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington, and you’ve got to appreciate the grade school irony in a script that names a man Wright) meets up with young Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) in one of the best sequences of the film as we have our first look at a terminator who is at once zombie-looking and completely sinister. Hours later, after escaping death, Marcus fiddles with a radio. He just happens to fix it at just the time when, speak of the devil, Connor is broadcasting his fireside chat with those out in the field regarding their next moves. Never mind the timing, the way they catch the signal at just the right frequency or the acknowledgment that it’s Connor speaking to them. It’s just all very convenient.

Later, Reese is part of an escape from a very bad situation from a slew of terminating machines. He and Marcus are departing the explosive moment in a tow truck when moments later he has to pull a single lever at just the right time to make the scene work; forget logic, it begs us, as not only does Reese pull the right one at the right time from a literal array of choices it does nothing to help the dramatic thrust of the film. There is no danger here, no threat of imminent danger, because these guys have an exponential amount of luck on their side and this is the problem with the film.

Further, in the film’s first hour, we find out early that the resistance has found a way to stop the machines, a poorly explained software program that is embedded on a jump drive that needs a clunky boombox to use. About this time, Connor sends his team to fetch an aqua terminator, a lot like the squids from the MATRIX sequels, to which they find one, bring it aboard, all the while being able to keep it from informing other aqua terminators that its been captured or of its current location. This sonic disruptor is one of the weakest McGuffins as it leads exactly nowhere. It’s a ruse, a poorly devised plot device whose sole purpose is used to an awful and regrettable convenience when finally employed to its strongest effect. The film is riddled with lapses in logic, and honestly if an action movie were on point doing what it has to, we shouldn’t care but from rain that just seems to stop on cue to a fiery explosion that singes nary a hair on the person who is caught in a fireball there is more than enough to puzzle at.

Moon Bloodgood, for all that McG has made about her, is actually one of the more redeemable things about this film. Along with Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin as the reluctant hero you have the three best reasons to see the film. I would even posit that their story, by itself, could have been a more entertaining diversion than what we build up to here. Marcus’ second lease on life is slightly introspective and rather interesting. Kyle’s progression from hesitant killer to lethal hero is wonderfully laid out. But that’s the most frustrating thing about this film. It has fits and starts of potential and has excellent action set pieces only to dumb itself down to appease the lowest common denominator as moments just happen to break positively for those we are supposed to care the most about in the movie. When the “big reveal” in the 3^rd act happens near the end try and convince me otherwise that it doesn’t make you feel cheated. The shadows, the calculated angles, the careful placement of bodies, it feels more like a math assignment than it does a celebration of all that’s great in excellent action movies. The effects at this point felt on par with THE CROW. The penultimate battle between man and machine, in the bowls of Skynet headquarters, however, tries to win you back with a glorious display of physicality and menace but by then it’s too late. The film cannot elevate itself above a 2^nd tier auctioneer when compared to more thought out films in its genre; leave it to Nolan to raise the bar for everyone else who comes behind him. I commend McG for not bowing to the pressure of actually integrating more of the terminators in the film, Lord knows that would’ve made it far more intriguing and add to the summer spectacle this should have been, but he demurs to telling a bullet ridden story with nowhere to end but with a whimper.

For all his ruminations about how Bale said he flatly turned down this role until he was given a script that you would have thought came with gilded light pouring down from every page if it got Bruce Wayne to say “Yes” to it after turning it down what you have is a story that is full of logical missteps, plots that go nowhere, effect work that at times has you wondering whether it was worth the cameo and the questionable taste for an actor that proved with DARK KNIGHT you could have a great summer film that was designed, and whose sole purpose was, to make money for its cash master while being reasonably intelligent. TERMINATOR SALVATION is a wonder as it doesn’t want to be intelligent, it doesn’t even want to be smart, it just wants to be a throwback to the films you could enjoy on basic cable and be done with once you’ve seen it. It’s an embarrassment of spectacle that leaves a lot of money on the table.

From a pure franchise standpoint, a solely economic exercise, McG may win the weekend but he will lose the summer war.

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May 21, 2009

The Greatest Movie Blog Of All Time: Terminator Starvation

Filed under: Reviews,The Greatest Movie Blog of All Time — Tags: Christian Bale, mcg, Review, salvation, terminator — UncaScroogeMcD @ 2:44 pm

TERMINATOR: STARVATION

The year is 2018. Skynet has risen and the few humans left (Terminator: Salvation makes it seem that there are only a handful of humans remaining) are trying to win the war against the machines. This is a few years before John Conner (Christian Bale) will acquire his legendary status and he comes across a new kind of enemy. Unfortunately, this is not the core of the film. Conner doesn’t even seem to be the primary character. Mostly, we follow Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), an apparently resurrected man who was lethally injected after serving time on death row in 2003 (For a crime that is never explained). He awakens fifteen years later, having not aged a minute, and befriends a young Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), the future father of John Conner. Reese is soon kidnapped by the machines and Conner is forced to trust Wright in rescuing his dad.

I tried to find a way to eloquently put into words the way I feel about this film and the following is what I came up with. Enjoy.

Oh, Terminator: Salvation
When you were announced, it scared me
There was no cause for celebration
And you were going to be directed by McG

But my interest was ignited
With the casting of Christian Bale
And I will admit that I got excited
When the trailer was unveiled

So when the lights went down
My eyes lit up
But what I actually found
Was that you really did suck

The story was bland
Common sense you were ignoring
The acting was far from grand
In fact, it was quite boring

You took away the depth
The legend you have devoured
Maybe you could have saved yourself
But you didn’t utilize Bryce Dallas Howard

So when they captured Kyle Reese
Why hasn’t he died yet?
With that single little piece
It wouldÂ be victory for Skynet

You tried to be clever
But smart you were not
With in-jokes during the bad weather
But unintentional laughs were all you got

But I have to say
There are a couple reasons why I would recommend it
At the end of the day
The cinematography was absolutely splendid

And I also cannot lie
I may give it another visit
Because I won’t even try
To say the action scenes were not exquisite

But that wasn’t enough
At least not for me
I had to deal with enough stuff
While watching Terminator 3

Go ahead McG, ask the main man
You know this is not what Cameron intended
Obviously, I’m not a fan
But at least Michael Ironside was in it

So I’m quite disappointed with you
I wish I could keep our relationship intact
But if Terminator Salvation is the best you can do
Please, I beg you, don’t come back

VROOOM!

*MINOR SPOILER TO FOLLOW*
So that is my review, but there is one more thing I would like to comment on. In the last bit of the film, a T-800 arrives. A real T-800, with the face of Arnold Schwarzenegger. It doesn’t 100% work, but it’s pretty damn close. I’m not sure of the specifics of how they did this (apparently they CGI’d Arnold’s face onto someone else’s body), but I think it’s a great achievement. It leads me to wonder how close we are to being able to do this on a consistent basis. How many actors will we be able to replicate? I’m not saying that computer graphics will overtake actors anytime in the future. We still need the personal connections to a role, the emotions, and so forth, but if someone were to use this in a different way, what could happen? Is it possible that we will sit in a theater one day and see Jimmy Stewart chasing Tom Cruise? Or maybe Cary Grant investigating George Clooney? The possibilities would be literally endless. I’m extremely interested to see where this goes.

-Jesse Rivers would love to see a Jackie Chan/Ingrid Bergman movie.

And, as always, check out Bagged and Boarded.

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May 8, 2009

Trailer Park: STAR TREK – Review / Eric Lange of LOST

Filed under: Interviews,Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: abc, chris pine, eric bana, eric lange, finale, interview, jj abrams, lost, Radzinsky, romulan, star trek, Stuart, zachary quinto — admin @ 3:59 pm

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp. This week saw all sorts of conversations about the horribleness of Wolverine and the promise that Star Trek would easily dethrone the big cat with claws at the box office this weekend.

***CONTEST – THE FALL AND RISE OF REGINALD PERRIN***

What was just a fleeting opportunity to promote another DVD turned into something of a curiosity to me.

I had never heard of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, for the most obvious reason that it was on the BBC in the late 70’s, but after watching a few clips I have to admit I am more curious to watch this and am wanting to give you rascals the chance to see what could be just the thing to get me going as all my other shows on television are dipping below the surface, not to return until the fall.

I have a few copies of the series on DVD. If you’d like a chance to win one just shoot me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com and let me know your favorite BBC program. It’s as easy as that.

More about the show:
Michael Scott of “The Office” didn’t write the book on career disillusionment. Back in the “˜70s, Reginald Perrin was fighting his own demons at Sunshine Desserts. The BBC’s “The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin” starred brilliant actor Leonard Rossiter (Barry Lyndon, 2001: A Space Odyssey) and aired from 1976-1979 to great critical and popular acclaim. The darkly-comedic series featured an outstanding cast of Britain’s best ““ Pauline Yates (Darling, “Peacekeepers”), Sue Nichols (“Coronation Street”, “Crossroads”), and Geoffrey Palmer (A Fish Called Wanda, Tomorrow Never Dies). This spring, E1 Entertainment brings all 21 episodes, plus “The Reginald Perrin Christmas Special” to DVD for the first time. THE FALL AND RISE OF REGINALD PERRIN: THE COMPLETE SERIES arrives in-stores as a 4-DVD set on May 12 for $59.98 SRP.

The DVD release of “The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin” is sure to excite classic British comedy fans, as will the revival of the series by the BBC this fall. BBC One has announced that Martin Clunes (“Doc Martin,” Shakespeare in Love) will play the title character in “Perrin,” which will be written by the original series writer and creator David Nobbs with “Men Behaving Badly” writer Simon Nye.

Eccentric sales executive Reginald Perrin is disillusioned with his life and unrewarding job at Sunshine Desserts. As the stresses of his mundane life surface, he pushes the boundaries of acceptable behavior at work. Finally, Reggie reaches a breaking-point, his mid-life crisis leading him to an extreme attempt at escape. He leaves his clothes on a bench at the beach, and fakes his own suicide. Instead of starting a new life somewhere else, Reggie tours the countryside assuming a variety of disguises ““ from buck-toothed pig farmer to pompous explorer. In his attempt at finding fulfillment, he discovers he truly misses his wife, and he returns home to start a brand new life. But, will he fall back into the same old routine again and again?

STAR TREK – REVIEWED

“How often people speak of art and science as though they were two entirely different things, with no interconnection. An artist is emotional, they think, and uses only his intuition; he sees all at once and has no need of reason. A scientist is cold, they think, and uses only his reason; he argues carefully step by step, and needs no imagination. That is all wrong. The true artist is quite rational as well as imaginative and knows what he is doing; if he does not, his art suffers. The true scientist is quite imaginative as well as rational, and sometimes leaps to solutions where reason can follow only slowly; if he does not, his science suffers.” – Isaac Asimov

After thinking about the highest compliment I can confer on this film it would be this: I want to see this movie again.

Something I didn’t realize I’ve missed after all the films I’ve seen in the last year is the innate sensation after the credits roll when you know you could sit through another viewing. That moment when you honestly could sit back down in the theater and watch the movie all over again with the same pleasure as you did before it started the first time. What JJ Abrams has managed to create is a summer film that bridges the chasm between those who have simmered in the Star Trek universe broth for decades, and explains to some degree why the franchise was in such dire straits as the latter films sputtered towards extinction, and those of us who just want to be entertained by a thin story and giant explosions.

JJ delivers on all the elements necessary to crafting a great mass market summer film starting with an opening reminiscent of BAMBI, FINDING NEMO and any other Disney film when a child needs to learn the tragedy of life from the get-go. What the first 10 minutes feel like is JJ finding his groove and to lay the foundation of what’s to come; the sequence establishes the tenor and mood of the entire film. So many times you have an opening sequence that seems so well-crafted that the next hour and 50 minutes couldn’t possibly live up to the great first chapter when you realize there was never enough in the tank to go more than a mile. JJ seems ballasted by not only knowing what is needed for every moment to feel weighty, in that every moment feels like it belongs and adds something extra to the overall whole, but his world as he’s creating it feels real.

Now, reality as I’ve come to define it after seeing STAR TREK is one that has rules but has to convince others to believe the reality. Keeping in mind we’re talking about warping star ships, phasers, drills that are miles long that can burrow into the center of a planet, interdimensional time warps and scads of other nuanced things that simply are not real. However, JJ and Co. manage those observations in a delicate balance of delivering superb special effects but not leaning on them like a crutch, an awful disease that many directors have succumbed to as of late. It’s the actors, deigned with the opportunity to bring a fantastical script to an even more apparent reality, that deserve some notice and praise.

Chris Pine (James Kirk), who up until this point charmed me in his turn as a twisted and demonic hillbilly in SMOKIN’ ACES, does a superb job playing the would be/will be Shatner. He carries himself with a hint, a whiff, of obnoxiousness that makes his role one that exudes a swagger rolled up with the classic underdog trope of a boy who needs to become a man. His boyhood mischief, his bar room brawls are nothing more than flimsy set-ups to show the depths of which he’s lost in his own PR and male bravado as a Lothario that never can seal the deal with Uhura (Zoe Saldana). But, and this is key, it’s the moment when Kirk meets Bones (Karl Urban) when you can feel the velocity of this film taking hold and never relenting. It’s also the time when we meet up with a young Spock (Zachary Quinto) who lives on planet Vulcan. What’s silly, of course, is to suppose this is all happening on a real planet removed from the safety of Earth’s natural berms and landscape but Abrams wills and makes Vulcan seem like a planet; the effects here are slight but rich in impact. He gives his situations, and all situations from start to finish, a polish, a thin veneer, of reality. Yes, Vulcan exists. Yes, cops of the future do ride motorcycles that fly. Yes, it is possible to beam from a ship to a planet’s surface; all the while, mind you, of never compromising the intentions of the actors in the scenes they’re in.

Kirk’s eventual rise to power as the ship’s captain is an intriguing one if not completely predictable, and there is a lot of goofiness to be had in the moments leading up to the logical blocks that are put in front of him from even being allowed ON the Enterprise, but these are all quibbles with the film’s focus on creating a summer movie. You could find yourself straining at wondering at the logical issues concerning the film’s villain Nero (a one-noted and camouflaged performance by Eric Bana) and his actions, however, this would take away from the sheer delight in wondering at the sight of John Cho (Sulu) kicking in some Romulan head during the film’s first real hand-to-hand combat scene, witnessing the fate of the first red shirt to go into battle and feeling the physics involved to make me believe that this all seems plausible as a viewer. Suspension of disbelief is not enough in this film as JJ takes the effects to a level that should cement this movie’s place as one of the more intensely enjoyable movies of the summer movie season.
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As well, when you consider all the personalities that need to be juggled, from introducing an entire ship’s worth of STAR TREK regulars to the plot that can get a touch convoluted if not completely unbelievable, Abrams manages to make you care about each one of them. Now, the depths to which we care can be debated but for the core cast of regulars there isn’t one throw-away moment for any of them especially when you consider the handful of characters that seemed to be much for lesser directors of recent summer films. It is important to give everyone the chance to be meaningful to the film’s progression, for if they weren’t why even be included in a script and, at that point, if they were I could guarantee a troubled film, and JJ does that. From Chekov’s minor miracles to Simon Pegg’s (Scotty) delightful and atmospheric comedic relief at a moment when the film delivers one of the more emotionally charged scenes STAR TREK is a record that knows what speed to play at without ever speeding up or slowing down unnecessarily. The movie is filled with enough crags and crevices which bring us to the penultimate moment but to explain them would spoil the fun of witnessing the birth of a franchise that finally is able to appeal to those like me who are familiar with the characters but aren’t beholden to the rigid back history of the iconic series. This isn’t to say, though, the film doesn’t have some issues.

The musical cues seem a little too ostentatious at times and threatens to take over the production and, unless you’re Ray Charles, there is no way not to notice the copious use the many lens flares that JJ seems to use as if he were a little kid just shown how to fire a gun; he loves using both almost to the detriment to the picture. The writing, as well, could be picked apart and dissected like a splayed open frog in biology class but, really, if you’re going to take issue with a summer film which is specifically designed to generate income and to be one of the few movies to help a studio make its annual nut you need to understand a few theories of basic economics. Which isn’t to say JJ has to make an inferior product, and he absolutely does not, but it’s important in understanding that the movie is not some artistic vision that can stand up to scrutiny if you were to compare it to a film like MILK. These kinds of films, these summer films, are made to entertain and to hopefully coming back for more. I already know this film is a special one in that I am already thinking about when I can see it again.

Forget WOLVERINE, STAR TREK is the real beginning of your summer.

ERIC LANGE of LOST

There’s this great Night Court episode that has always stayed with me ever since I saw it air decades ago. Harry, played by Harry Anderson, has to convince a very deranged woman who is brandishing a grenade in his court that what she sees on television is not reality. The blend of humor and the very not funny threat of someone dying was emblematic of a series that blurred the line of what a sitcom was. So, too, is my love affair of Lost.

A program that has dared me to leave it more than once and a program that keeps finding ways to bring me back, Lost provides audiences with the kind of drama that looks to challenge traditional methods of storytelling on television. So, it was with great anticipation that I was able to talk to Eric Lange, who you all know by the name Stuart Radzinsky and rocks a beard like no other on that show, wherein I was able to find out more about the man who has become synonymous with supreme jerkitude on the series. The “others” may be mysterious and wanton in their violence and malevolence towards others but Lange is just plain mean.

It was a pleasure, then, to talk to the actor playing Radzinsky. What I found was an actor just excited to be playing a role like this, in a series like this. His passion for the craft was something refreshing when you consider how far gone other performers can get when they stop seeing the ephemeral winning lotto ticket in their hand. Eschewing any question that even tiptoes the line of “What can be expect from the season finale…” I instead wanted to know more about him as an actor, a working actor, and what this opportunity means to his career.

From ditching the series as a viewer to realizing the importance of bug spray there couldn’t be a better jerk on television who I hope finds success after he finds his way off the island. The series finale airs this upcoming Wednesday, May 13th on ABC.

CHRISTOPHER STIPP: I’ve been reading a little bit about you as an actor and what led you here to Lost. I’m really just curious to find out, at least to start off things with what happened from 1998 and 2001 where there doesn’t seem to be much from you?

ERIC LANGE: ’98 and 2001? Well, to be honest, when I first moved to LA I couldn’t get an agent or get anyone to represent me theatrically so I was doing a lot of theatre which is sort of my roots ““ theatre and commercials ““ and every now and then I got friends to come to a play I was in and toss me a job here and there. That’s what the Bold and the Beautiful is and my early, early jobs. But really they were just from people that knew me at the time.

So it’s really all I was doing.

Then after that it just of moved into commercials. I was doing commercials for about 7 years here and making a living that way and saying I was a working actor but I obviously wanted to be making movies and scripted television. So then I ended up doing another play years later and a friend of mine brought her manager to the play and he picked me up. After that things moved relatively quickly because I had all that time here doing commercials and theatre to just sort of marinate and get ready for the day I was going to be able to get into rooms and I would be able to work relatively quickly. So that’s sort of the reason for that gap.

CS: Certainly after that it looks like Lost is the longest time you’ve spent on scripted television.

LANGE: Yes. I had smaller recurring things on other shows earlier. LAX, the Heather Locklear/Blair Underwood show I was on for just a little bit and just prior to Lost I did a show called 26 Miles which was like a 6 episode pilot basically. It was made to be sold as a half season and then a network or studio would pick up the other half of the season. So, that was 6 episodes and that was my longest stint and now Lost is a little past that, so you are correct.

CS: So how did this come into your life? Was it one of those things where you were just out on auditions or were you asked to audition for it?

LANGE: Yes, my manager called and said you need to audition for this or that and I was particularly excited about this because I wanted to do something on that show for so long I just had the highest respect for it and wanted to be on there. The show I had done previously, the 26 Miles pilot, I had about 6 months before that started and I was going to do it and I had to change rather drastically. My hair was always rather short so I spent all this time growing my hair out and this beard and so I thought if I’m ever going to be on Lost, now is the time to do it. I got the beard, the long hair, I can pop out of the jungle. I could say I was on the plane, or I was an accountant, or something.

(Laughs)

So, I just went in to audition. It’s not a typical audition with them. Usually you go to meet the producers in an audition ““ and the writer ““ but with Lost because everybody is in Hawaii you’re really just reading for the casting director and somebody films you and they mail the tape off and you either get it or you don’t. So it felt like such a simple process for what became such a great job. You know?

CS: Yes, and an interesting character too. We all know how he ends up but it’s really interesting to see how he gets to where that finite end is. Could you speak a little bit about how… I read in a previous interview where there really wasn’t so much direction given to you regarding these origins of the character but you were allowed to make him up – as it were?

LANGE: The original audition ““ I know I’ve spoken about this before ““ but they didn’t even have the name Radzinski on the audition side it was this Marty Jankowski guy. So that’s who I was auditioning for initially. So, when I got the job they called and said you are playing Radzinski and the name sort of rang a bell. I wasn’t sure why it was so secretive but that’s how a lot of things are on that show. I ended up googling him and found all these web pages about him and immediately got very nervous about the shoes I had to fill.

It was evident that there were a lot of fans that were curious about him and what he knows and why he offs himself and all these different things and I though, boy, I have a lot of people to please. So I ended up calling my manager and said is there something they want me to know? Now, knowing where we are going to take him eventually, or if they will, knowing where he ends up in the bible of Lost, is there something they want me to know now that I could put in play and the answer was a pretty definitive no. They said, “No, if we want him to know something we’ll tell him.” It was good in a sense because I had the information about where the guy’s going to eventually go and I had the scripts and the words they give me are rather strong clues to what kind of person he is. But I did get to work a fair amount on my little back story and sort of create this guy from scratch. The guy we’ve heard about but never seen.

CS: And you mentioned something about Lost having something close to a bible. The pantheon of fans out there…that there’s no detail that goes unnoticed with the people who really dig this show. How was that knowing that every tick, every peculiarity is poured over? I don’t know if you ever now gone back to see what people are talking about and see if people are really on the mark or off the mark with about what’s to come later on in the season?

LANGE: You mean in terms of what they were picking up about him before him even being seen or since I started on the show?

CS: That’s interesting. I would be interested in hearing both. First of all, we caught glimpses of him and now that you are fully realized ““ what people are saying now about the character.

LANGE: Well, you know. Let me think. I just want to make sure about what you are asking. You are asking how I feel about what people are saying about the guy now that he’s out there?

CS: Correct. Now that people have had the chance to see you, what are they saying about you?

LANGE: Well, I don’t have a lot of fans. Let’s put it that way.

(Laughs)

I’m hoping people are enjoying it but obviously he’s a thorn in the side of our heroes at this point and it is interesting that he’s so hot blooded. That does contribute to someone who could put a shotgun in his mouth. He’s a wildly passionate individual and it was sort of assumed early on that the guy had some wild knowledge about a lot of things and now we find out that he was the architect of the Swan so he’s been credited with being a genius or scientist. But, no, the few things I’ve been sent from friends and from what I’ve seen on the internet is pretty hard to read sometimes.

(Laughs)

I’ve been called all sorts of names. He’s a problem child but in terms of my fears about living up to the expectations of the fans. I just said I’m going to make what I make and hopefully they can get behind it. The thing to me about playing people like that is as long as there’s justification for the way they act, people can get behind it. And with him, we are sort of catching him in the middle of a period for him. In the middle of building the Swan and his work with Darma and so I just created this thing in my head that he was sort of told a story that he was going to be this big deal there and when he got there there were all these other people running around and touching his stuff and running projects and he sort of wanted to run the show so that’s the place I’m taking it from now but there’s got to be ways to justify the way he’s such a complete pompous ass he is and certainly leaving people curious enough without just hating the guy and writing him off, which is a danger.

CS: Correct. And this is one of the, and I don’t want to say tightest written series on television for sounding too hyperbolic, but looking at the scripts you are being given week after week, how do you respond to something when you are used to going on some of these shows, doing an episode and then leaving. Looking at a script where you are not allowed to know some things but know others… how does that all work in a cohesive sense when there are so many things going on at once?

LANGE: It’s tricky because you don’t know anything really. You know that at the end of some episodes that if there’s a story line left untold you assume that they will come back to it. So you do see some sort of arch but don’t know exactly where it’s going to go but it’s actually kind of exciting. I remember being in Hawaii at the hotel and the day that the scripts would come out running down from the Lobby wondering what the heck am I going to be doing this week. It’s been exciting. When you do one spot on one show you are gone. You don’t get that kind of thrill.

Every now and then it’s a little jarring, oh my goodness the things they have me saying and doing, the character they are forming as I find it in the script week to week and sometimes I find it a bit jarring and I have to go into my justification pile as say why is this important to him. And the bigger picture that this is sort of like war to him. He’s sort of like a general in an army and there are possible enemies lurking around and gaining information and that’s life and death. A lot of things on Lost aren’t life and death. But it’s a pretty curious thing. I sort of see him as a policeman who is jus trying to protect what they built and what they are working on and he just happens to get quite agitated when things don’t go his way, if any of that makes any sense.

CS: It does. You are now the 4th person I’ve talked to from the cast in the many years it’s been on. You hit a central theme when you say it’s all a matter of life and death and everyone who I’ve talked to says life off the set and in the set while you are working on it couldn’t been a more congenial and open and warm place to be.

LANGE: Absolutely.

CS: How have you responded to that sort of climate as an actor?

LANGE: Coming from doing one show at a time, mainly a guest star here and there, you sort of get thrown into this family that you don’t know but they have been working together for years and you are trying to look like a seamless part of this giant machine they have created. Sometimes the families are friendly and sometimes because they know you are leaving that week there is really no attempt to make any conversation or environment where you might feel more comfortable. Going into Lost when I first got the job I only knew I was doing two episodes. That was the deal. So I thought, well two episodes but I was a little intimidated because of the size of the show and the scope of that show and I thought, “My God, what if these people are monsters? What if their ego’s have gone to their head because they are on this giant train that is Lost?” And I could not have found anything farther from the truth.

I mean, from day one they were the most down to earth, friendly, there was no ego involved, just acceptance and I felt like I was part of the crew right away. They were really wonderful in that way. And when you are comfortable like that you are just able to do better work. You feel better about yourself, you can trust in what you are doing better and it’s just nice to have that support. But throughout my entire stint there I just grew closer and closer to those people and have a huge amount of respect for them on their behavior on the set and their generosity really. And, the crew is the same way. The crew is a lot of Hawaii based people, very down to earth, very kind and really it is funny how sort of light hearted the set is. It’s not that anyone’s careless about their work but it really is like a very friendly place to be. I had an absolute blast there.

CS: And one of the interesting things about the show itself too, for how many years it’s been on, you don’t hear anything about any petty sort of in-fighting or anything associated with some programs that are on a very long time that most succumb to. Any ideas of how they’ve managed to avoid needless drama?

LANGE: I don’t know. I’m always amazed when I hear about the drama on these things. It’s like you think when you get a job on that level you would just be happy to do you job and go home. I think part of it has to be because they are so removed. Being there in Hawaii is like you own little camp. Like you go to Lost camp. And they are not right there in Hollywood hearing about the bickering that goes on or seeing the power plays that get pulled. I think to some degree everyone just really likes being on the show and happy with their jobs and happy to be a part of something that has such an impact on culture in television. But, I think the distance is a big thing because when you get there it’s not like Hollywood. It’s Hawaii ““ a much different environment and relatively laid-back, peaceful place to be. I think it engenders that on the set as well.

CS: One of the things that I think makes you a perfect representation of Lost is that I read that you bailed on the series for a little while and then came back to it as you boned up on your part. I would think that any Lost fan agrees that this season just outshines ““ the writing is better, it’s tighter…How do you think they found their groove back? What’s your take on why it’s so good this season?

LANGE: Well, my take is that ““ I did. I hate to say it but somewhere at the end of season 3 I thought, boy, they did such a good job the first two seasons at peaking interest and creating mysteries and things I was just so curious about and wanted answers to, and they kept stretching them out.

And now my belief about why they did that is because they didn’t know how long they were going to be on the air. They didn’t know how long they were going to have to keep these things a mystery.

So I think for a while there it sort of felt like they were treading water. I don’t know if this is the fact or not but I got the sense of having to keep these story lines afloat because what if we are doing this for 10 years. And now that they have given themselves an end point, now they see a finish line and they are saying, what do we need to get in before the finish line? And it’s much easier to plot and plan and really build things on a more detailed level I would guess, episode to episode knowing they only have this many to go. So I think they are really sinking their teeth in and challenging audiences and giving everyone a great run for their money and a great piece of television.

CS: One of the other things that you brought up was that largely, the production is very picturesque. It’s done outside in Hawaii. What kind of challenges does filming on a beach, in jungles, in that kind of humidity present from day to day?

LANGE: That’s where I give props to their crew. I see these guys in season 5 and a lot of these guys are Hawaii based so they are used to working in that and used to working some adverse conditions and they are incredibly adapt at it. It’s amazing to watch how quickly and with such economy they can get these major shots set up and pulled off. And people running around the jungle with a steady cam. They are not running on boards. It’s dirt and mud. We had a couple days where it was very rainy and there was just mud everywhere. It’s so humid. I was there at relatively decent conditions given the time of the year. But it was 85 ““ 90 degrees and very humid and you got the bugs in the jungle. There were days I came off the set with many mosquito bites and I learned very quickly to take the bug spray when they offer it to you.

(Laughs)

But it was kind of fun. It feels very genuine as an actor. You are out in that. It’s not a sound stage with a bunch of plastic trees. You are in the jungle. It’s really exciting that way. But, it’s not a show for the faint of heart. There’s not always a trailer right next to where you are shooting but it makes it kind of fun. I always felt bad about complaining about anything because I’ve watched the show and know the things they have been through and this is nothing.

CS: I am amazed when I read an interview when someone from Lost says they are always trying to ply them for information about what’s coming next ““ to the extent that everyone dodges the question. It makes me feel uncomfortable, must make you feel uncomfortable. But, as the series now trends toward the end, do you feel, now that there is an end in sight, that we can expect more of the same of what we’ve been given this season?

LANGE: Oh yeah. My sense of it as it gets from this the new episode forward would be the variable forward the last episode Some Like it Hot was relatively, some themes in there, but it was relatively lighthearted for an episode of Lost. I think it’s partly because from here on out it ups the ante all the time. It becomes a great roller coaster ride. I think that the rest of the episodes to come and the finale should be some stupendous television. It really is quite an action packed end of season from this point forward.

CS: Having already taped the finale, when you reflect on it, how do you see your time on the program itself and what it’s done for you professionally and as an actor?

LANGE: My time on the program? I can’t say anything other than it was a dream job. It really was. To be on a show that you are already a big fan of and to have it go as well as it did for me ““ great challenge as an actor and befriend the people that work on that set ““ it was just nothing short of spectacular for me. And professionally, it really is amazing the difference between working on one level of show (and I won’t name names) and then working on Lost.

When my third episode aired, and I hadn’t really heard anything on the street and I went out over the weekend there must have been 10 different people that came up to me and said, “Are you Radzinsky? Lost is a great show.” So out of the blue people are starting to come up to me and things like that. It’s just a testament to the audience and kind of impact that show has.

You never know where your career is going to go or what opportunities are going to come to you or not but it certainly in terms of it’s stature I think it’s the biggest thing I’ve been a part of. I hope it does great things for my career, obviously but I’m already getting a sense that it is a bit bigger than you in some ways.

CS: I have to imagine ““ I know everyone talks about acting ““ “It’s just a job…It’s just something I do” – do you get some sort of thrill when you get recognized for being on the show?

LANGE: Yeah. I went to some art fair this guy walked by me and just yelled, “Radzinsky!” Like that’s my name, you know? And I turned around and said “Yeah?” and he said “I’m such a fan of the show” and he was with a friend and they introduced themselves and just the nicest people. Coming from theatre you do a role, you do a show and you get instant audience feedback. You get applause, you get laughter, you get validation that what you did meant something to somebody. But on television you never really get that. It just airs and who knows what anyone really thought of it. So it’s always nice to have people come up to you and say, “Hey, I dig the show” or “Dig what you’re doing.”

It’s just confirmation that you are on the right path in some way. It feels good that whatever it is you do makes somebody a little happier than they were before, I guess to put it simply. So yes, it’s a great feeling.

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May 1, 2009

Trailer Park: X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE World Premiere and ADVENTURES OF POWER – Reviewed

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: adrian grenier, ari gold, arizona, hugh jackman, liev schreiber, lynn collins, michael mckean, premiere, taylor kitsch, tempe, will i am, wolverine — admin @ 8:15 pm

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies.Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp. Some weeks you get lucky with the kind of information that people are talking about.

ADVENTURES OF POWER – REVIEW

aop_web The moment that solidifies THE ADVENTURES OF POWER as a film that is far more than just a movie about a guy, Power, who has dreams of being a great air drummer is when Michael McKean, who plays his father, stands up to a pack of riot police. His father heads a pro-union force looking to hold the line for union workers who toil at a local copper mine; they walk off the job, force its obnoxious, caricature of a boss hoss to shut the normal mining operations down as McKean tries to elevate the working lives of those who live in a tough and shattered city that almost could be classified under Ghost Town categorization by New Mexico standards.

It’s hard to believe that this movie actually is an amusing farce of a film but it is.

Led by the air drumming talents of actor, writer and director Ari Gold as Power himself the movie has two things on its mind: 1) Tell a story about a man who dreams of being so much more than the incompetent miner that everyone else pegs him to be. 2) Take a shot at films where events cumulate in any kind of great event where our hero needs to become the winner of it all.

Knowing these two things, the film is free to spread its thoughts across a wide palette of events that take Power from the destitute city where many dreams have no doubt died. But not Powers’. The film’s opening with Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie” sets the tone for the rest of the film in that we’re exposed to a lot of classic music where the focus is on songs with rich drum sound. What’s funny, or duly noted, about this is that not only does this movie bring together sounds from the past which let drummers express their presence in a band but the story is shaped by the music that I remember meant something more than some of what’s being made today. Power is that man, trapped in the years far in the past, trying to bring together his passion for being his own individual and trying to make those around him respect his abilities as a superior air drummer.

The premise is absolutely ludicrous, it should be said, but Powers’ walkabout that finds him first in an underground air drum contest far away from his home and then under the tutelage of a former master of funk, Carlos, played by Steven Williams. What transpires in the hollows of Newark, New Jersey is a fantastical tale of a man who is taught how to become an even greater air drummer within a cast of absolutely bizarre band mates who air drum themselves. The mere transcribing of their efforts baffles even me why it’s funny to watch and take in but a lot of that credit should go to writer/director Ari Gold. His talent for writing a story that’s funny is one thing but you could virtually watch this film without the sound on and soak in the deliciousness of his direction. The cinematography only adds another layer to what makes this film special; it’s far too beautiful for how simple the story is but it couches the events of this film in a place that feels absolutely real. It’s not like an over lit comedic showpiece that is made specifically to accent the performances of the talent on the screen, this movie makes the places inform its action.

Dallas Houston, played by Entourage’s Adrian Grenier, is also a wild card into this mix of craziness. Playing a overly hackneyed version of a superstar that is, himself, a walking caricature of arrogance we see that Houston also has dreams of being a great air drummer, a sinister behavior that he must keep hidden from his copper mine owning father (how coincidental!) but that’s the idea. The movie sends up films where these tropes exist but ADVENTURES OF POWER gets it right. It knows where to put the musical interlude during our hero’s training and it even knows every hero needs a lady to fight for. Segue to Power falling in love and wooing a deaf girl (played by the adorable Shoshannah Stern) and you have yourself the other piece to this cinematic puzzle.

Even though the events that lead up to ending and resolution of the film is as predictable as the movies it lampoons the real treat is experiencing the potential in Ari Gold’s filmmaking. His previous effort in the short, short CULTURE have proven him to be sharp, thoughtful and quick to understand the patterns that exist in modern cinema and this film is no different. The satire here is sure to be lost on those who don’t see through the superficiality of what makes this movie such a small gem in the land of independent film which seems cluttered with films looking to spread heady and heavy messages. Ari Gold’s vision is fully realized in a movie that blends place and theme, and a wicked ass soundtrack, wonderfully.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE – PREMIERE IN TEMPE, AZ

premiere1 There isn’t a whole helluva lot that follows which is mine.

An Internet contest that was vying for the World Premiere of X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE got underway weeks ago. Hugh Jackman had a pre-recorded video message that asked fans from all over America to try and get the star studded event, he mentioned bringing a whole cadre of his actor buddies with him to help celebrate, in their town.

I, being of sound mind and not giving in to such ploys to generate market interest in the movies, didn’t vote. Of all the places, who would want to bring a movie premiere to my backyard, to Arizona?

sign All of mo-fo’s did, apparently.

The masses spoke and thanks to this being a lead story in broadcast and online news (yeah, not much was happening that day) on the last day of voting Tempe, Arizona pulled out a win. Hugh again delievered a taped message a week ago last Monday to regale people with the good news. Again it was reported on as if Jesus Christ himself was about to appear at the local Dairy Queen.

Days leading up to the event only meant more hoopla, more mentions of the fact that the last premiere to come to Arizona was BEN HUR, decades ago, and even the day of, this Monday, lines stretched around the theater the night before to try and get tickets or to at least jockey for a good position to see Hugh Jackman and company up close and personal. Hugh did the crowd a solid and sent muffins and coffee for the die hards in the wee hours on Monday morning, spending $4,300 on breakfast items for the crowd.

premiere2 Me? I was giving alms to my press pass and just making sure I had my batteries charged.

What was to follow later that day, that night was pretty neat even from all the years I’ve spent covering events at places like the Comic-Con. The level of intensity from the crowd who were simply happy to be there, to see Jackman working the event like the emcee he’s so good at being, was inspiring simply because these were people who don’t work in the movie field and are just happy to indulge in a little superficality for an evening. It was good to reinvigorate myself to see how much people dig these sorts of things. Even though there’s no way in hell there will ever be another premiere in Arizona for quite some time it was still nice to talk to Wil i Am, Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Liev Schreiber and Hugh Jackman. I even got to have a very pleasant talk with Wolf from American Gladiators which was a surprisingly interesting and warm exchange.

Not all the questions below I was able to ask personally. I take minimal responsibility for some of the more innane inquiries, especially the ones asked to Hugh, so I hope you enjoy the rapid fire pace of what follows.

WOLVERINE Interview Questions and Answers

LIEV SCHREIBER

liev

LIEV: That’s me.The bad guy from Scream. And I am Naomi Watt’s baby daddy.

QUESTION:How are the kiddies?

LIEV: They’re good. They’re good. They’re at home.

QUESTION [Christ, I don’t know what I did to get saddled with these people]:What do you look for in a woman?If Namoi would say have at it.

LIEV:I don’t believe I could answer that question in good conscience.

QUESTION:Here’s an easy question.When you watch a movie are you a popcorn or candy kind of guy?

LIEV:It depends on what they got. But, generally, I’m a popcorn kind of guy. If the movie is good, you never make it past one handful.

[Want to know why some actors hate junkets? Wait for what comes next.] QUESTION: Is Hugh Jackman everything we think he is?

LIEV: He’s awesome. Hugh’s pretty good. Ryan Reynolds said it best. He said Hugh is so nice he makes ice cream look like Hitler.

(Laughs)

STIPP: You have a strong theater background.What kind of movie does this represent to you when you look at the jobs you’re going to take? Do you make a difference between theatre and big budget action pictures?

LIEV: The plain simple fact is that I don’t think men mature past the age of 22. Physically we can become 90, 100, 120 but mentally most men don’t go past 22 so when they say to you do you want to come to the movie and be the giant mutant cat that flys around the buildings and whips Hugh’s ass, I said yes.

STIPP: There’s no hesitation?

LIEV: No, there’s no hesitation. I don’t think there’s any hesitate for any man in that situation. Wouldn’t you do it?

STIPP:Of course.

LYNN COLLINS

lynncollins QUESTION: What’s something interesting that our fans would want to know about? [Journalists, asking the hard hitting questions!]

COLLINS: What’s interesting to me is that one day Hugh came to me and said that the producers had gotten together and said that I needed to be wearing an outfit that may be more skimpy. So I walk into my trailer and there is the tiniest little silver dress I had ever seen in my life. So I put it on and went outside and they all said April Fool’s. It was a big joke. So I was standing there in front of the producers and Hugh Jackman in the tiniest dress that didn’t fit me.

QUESTION:Sounds like fun. [Sounds like mental retardation…]

COLLINS: That was fun. Humility. Humility baby.

STIPP: As a theatre actress, and I’ve read about how you and Liev already have worked before in that capacity, this is obviously something bigger than you have ever experienced before.

COLLINS: Right.

STIPP:How was it going from theatre to big budget action movie?How does that translate for your performance?

COLLINS: You know, I found it very interesting when I was working on this process that I was really able to utilize all my experience and training at Juliard because we are dealing with such sweeping emotions because we are working on stages with a green screen.

QUESTION: How was it working with Hugh?

COLLINS:He was the charismatic leader on this film. Everyone worked so hard and he was really the catalyst and shared that energy with all of us.

TAYLOR KITSCH

taylor TAYLOR KITSCH: Hey, how are ya?

QUESTION:Welcome to Tempe.

KITSCH:Thanks for having me. It’s a pleasure to be a part of it all.

QUESTION:Is this your first visit to Tempe?

KITSCH: It is. I have driven through but actually my first time to take it in.

QUESTION:Where’s home for you?

KITSCH:Austin, Texas.

STIPP:What’s it like to take a comic book character to screen.You have those internet geeks who love to rip apart everyone saying, “He’s not right, he’s not good, he’s not…whatever.” How did you approach this character?

KITSCH: The only way is you have to dive into it man. It’s all or nothing. You have to just commit to it 150%. So from learning the tools he has to the cars, to his accent, to his posture, to his cadence, to everything else, that’s how you do it.

STIPP:Did you get to the point where you just say, “What the hell?This is a comic book.What am I doing?”

KITSCH: No. Because the more I dived into him the more passionate I became, the more I understood the fans. I want to go another round with him at least. To go darker.

STIPP:Really?

KITSCH: Absolutely.

STIPP:You said you wanted to introduce him.Where is the Gambit we get in this movie?

KITSCH: You get a few pieces of him. He loves to fight and play around. You have to remember who he is against. Who Wolverine is to him at the time is a lot different than if you had Gambit earlier on which is something I would love to explore. How did he get to the point where he’s at his own poker table and he has that smirk. What made him have that, you know? I think a lot of that would be fun to explore.

WILL I AM

will QUESTION: How are you doing?

i AM:I’m 21 and older.

QUESTION:Hey, for all the brothers and sisters out there, what should they know about this film?

i AM: It’s a brother super hero, you know… You know what I’m saying? Obama’s in the White House, first Black super hero…

(Laughs)

Nah. It’s a great film.

QUESTION: What’s the biggest challenge you had doing this film?

i AM: It’s my first movie ever so that’s a challenge. Dealing with professionals. Look at that poster. Check that shit out!

STIPP: Are you thinking of hanging one in your house?

i AM: No. That looks weird to me. I can deal with Black Eyed Peas”¦that’s normal but this is not normal.

STIPP:Does this represent something to you now, like this is where you always wanted to be, a multi-talented artist?

i AM: It makes me say, WOW. What I can do and what anybody is capable of doing. It’s not what you want because a lot of times you don’t dream it. You’re afraid of getting your world crushed. So that represents dreaming because you can be it. To any youth out there, to any kid, it’s like look at me. You can do it. Three years ago I never thought that was possible. To me, it’s a little kid in the projects or a girl that’s going through a lot, you can make it happen. Just dream big. Anything is possible. White, brothers, Chinese, Korean”¦anybody. You can do it man. I am freaking out looking at that poster.

QUESTION:What’s going to be next for you? Any more movies?

i AM: No. Next I’m going to release the Alicia Keys album and get back to what I am a pro at “¦. And I’m not a pro even at that because Herbie Hancock is a pro.

STIPP: If you’re not a pro then what are you?

i AM: I’m a fan that has equipment. At the end of the day, really that’s what it is. I’m a fan, I’m bored and I entertain myself. And people like it.

HUGH JACKMAN

hugh

Hugh started off things by talking about his most generous gift of caffeine and pastries that morning to those waiting to get in to see the premiere.

HUGH JACKMAN: Were you here this morning?

QUESTION:No, but the fans were.

JACKMAN: Oh yeah. My pleasure.

Boy, when I rang Arianna at the bakery. I didn’t even know what the bakery’s called, but I think there was a 10 second pause when I said, “This is Hugh Jackman and I need 800 muffins and 800 cups of coffee.”

It went quiet.

“Is this a joke?”

(Laughs)

QUESTION:How are you liking Tempe?

JACKMAN: I’m loving it. What a way to come here too. The time of year and the fans are insane. I love that. That’s how these fans are. I’m telling you, I’ve been living with this character and these fans for maybe 9 years and that’s why I wanted to show it to them first.

QUESTION: And Hugh, everyone wants to know how did you get your arms in this kind of shape?

JACKMAN: As a producer I should have gotten a little more money from the visual effects budget but I didn’t. I just went to the gym and did it the old fashioned way.

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Trailer Park: X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE – Reviewed

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: brandon murphy, hugh jackman, liev schreiber, lynn collins, marvel, Ryan Reynolds, will i am, wolverine — admin @ 2:12 am

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies.Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp. Some weeks you get lucky with the kind of information that people are talking about.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE – REVIEWED

x_men_origins_wolverine I don’t need to see this film again, nor do I have the need to ever own it.

When I was 13 I had a friend by the name of Brandon Murphy. He was the only one who I knew was into comics and is responsible for sending sparks into the tinder that would flame into a full-on passion for The X-Men, Spider-Man and other titles that would create the base for my love of this medium.

One month, while casually flipping through a copy of the most recent Comics Journal at my local comic book store they had a section in the back that was dedicated to talking about the cinematic developments of comic properties. Seemingly, a lot of what has finally made it to the big screen (SPIDER-MAN, X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR) had its genesis in a paper publication back in 1989. It would be ridiculous to think that these films were trapped in development for damn near two decades but the facts are both SPIDER-MAN and X-MEN went on to become box office juggernauts which laid waste to anyone thinking these films would only appeal to children. The early iteration of these films were a little rough as the filmmakers felt in the dark about how to translate comics to screen in a way that would be faithful to the source but be marketable enough to wide audiences so there were creative liberties taken; Rogue skewed younger, the Green Goblin was physically different and The Hulk had to contend with Hulk Dogs.

Profits swelled, studios took notice and now we’re having to contend with a litany of comic book to film adaptations, reboots and spin-offs. Thanks to the success of the movies that had to believe that taking the material seriously would actually work we now have X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. Based on the character who was the most obvious choice to get his own film WOLVERINE takes place long before he finds himself with the X-MEN and introduces a rogues gallery of fan favorites: Deadpool, Blob, Sabertooth and Gambit. The film wants to establish Wolverine as a character, wants to delve into how he received his adamantium and tries desperately to entertain while doing it. If this was Gambit’s game he would say 2 out 3 ain’t bad but here, for this film, it’s a losing hand.

The issues that hobble this production are apparent from the beginning when we’re introduced to young Logan and his bone claws. In what has to be one of the most rushed “twist” story details, and there are enough of them here to think that M. Night Shyamalan, not David Benioff and Skip Woods, should get story credit, we have the worst use of “I’m your dad” in an awkward moment that sets the shoddy tone for what is to come. From the shoehorning of Logan’s classic comic book refrain of “I’m the best there is at what I do, and what I do isn’t very nice” into a conversation that feels awkward when uttered out loud the movie stumbles as the script feels like disparate moments strung together by a thin thread of relevance which, ultimately, prove not to be the case. The events that transpire could have all happened without the aid of the excuses that heretofore are called co-stars. If you could keep a tally on the ways in which any number of the co-stars, excluding Sabertooth, help the movie you would only need to use one hand. This is frustrating as any writer actually pushing pen to paper should recognize that you have to have a reason to include someone in a story but what seems to be the case in WOLVERINE is that these characters act as excuses to divulge wildly far-fetched bits of information.

Further, an examination of what comes next illustrates the other contentious point that could go either way for someone watching the film: the flimsiness of the movie’s production.

We go from boyhood to modern time with Logan all grown up and sharing a plane with the host of characters that will come and go like stage props for the rest of the movie. Ryan Reynolds absolutely shines as the merc with a mouth, Deadpool, and if there’s anyone who you wish they had more of in this movie it’s him. Liev Schreiber starts his run as the wickedly casted Sabertooth, and who deserves a lot of credit for elevating the tension, suspense and mood of this film, and doesn’t disappoint for the duration of the movie. The team’s leader William Stryker, played by Danny Huston, also is delightfully cast as the one man who no one should trust in a foxhole. The rest of the characters are forgettable, disposable and are completely irrelevant to the movie’s forward movement and act as convenient placeholders, like an opportune coaster to place a wet drink upon, to simply use and discard when not needed. The opening battle sequence has everyone showing off their talent, one by one, in an overly orchestrated battle that looks like it was taking place on a poorly disguised, and photographed, set; it’s plasticine flimsiness here just sets the tone for the other sets that look like sets. From the fight that takes place after our heroes board an elevator, to the jungle scene prior to Logan jettisoning from this merry band of mutants, to the fight that takes place between Gambit, Logan and Sabertooth, to a host of other special effect moments that simply look false there is a surprising lack of quality control. Never minding the accoutrements to the action on the screen the lack of character development for those on the periphery adds to the disappointment.

The script for the film seemed to be at odds with wanting to tell an origin story, hence the title, but also having a fun movie to watch. I don’t think these things are mutually exclusive but the movie covers so much ground you don’t ever have a chance to breathe and that’s not a good thing. We barely get to know Logan’s lady Silver Fox, we have an even less chance to understand Dominic Monaghan’s Bolt, John Wraith barely has an opportunity to flex his muscle, don’t get me started on the stopwatch lifespan of the husband and wife who hurriedly nurse Logan back to health after he gets his metal, we get The Blob for one token scene and Gambit is all but ignored. There are literally a cast of characters interfering with a movie that should have been about Wolverine but instead we have X-MEN 4, a new team with a different leader. Even though this film is a vast improvement over X-MEN 3 it only does so because of the strength of Hugh Jackman and Schreiber.

Jackman is the bright light in all of this as he pours himself into this role. He believes he is Logan, that he is Wolverine. And he’s damn right for thinking so. The mannerisms of what this human animal is supposed to be like are all evident in his rage when he escapes his captors as Weapon X, when he’s fighting for his life in the denouement of this film. Jackman has the charisma to pull this whole character off without a hitch but, the problem is, there isn’t anything else for him to do with what he’s given.

With a gimpy script, wretched effects, questionable photography and a host of other distracting elements it’s not hard to make a case as to why this should be the only entry in this series, that any more films will turn a once hardcore outlaw of comics into a parody of himself, better suited inside the Sunday funnies. One time will be more than enough to take in what’s presented but I do hope the resulting avalanche of money that will no doubt be in this movie’s future will help begin discussions about how to focus on what was right about this film and excise everything else that did not.

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April 29, 2009

Greatest Movie Blog: REVIEW – STAR TREK Boldly Goes Where No Other STAR TREK Film Has Gone Before

Filed under: Reviews,The Greatest Movie Blog of All Time — Tags: jj abrams, Review, star trek — UncaScroogeMcD @ 7:57 pm

There’s a commercial running for the new Star Trek film that says “This is not your father’s Star Trek.” And for a change there is truth in advertising.

This new Star Trek is a conversion to the summer blockbuster. Whereas most Star Trek films in the past were released around Thanksgiving, this one will play well on a hot day where you can hide away in an air-conditioned theater with a big bucket of popcorn and an ice-cold soda.

I enjoyed most of the previous Star Treks (particularly Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the underrated Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek: First Contact), but I’m not what one would consider a Trekkie. I’ve seen maybe one episode of the original series and a good portion of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but that’s about it. And I can say unequivocally that I enjoyed this Star Trek far beyond anything that’s come before it. This is the most fun Star Trek has ever been.

Everything about this film is given a fresh spin: the way starships jump to warp, the sound of the phasers, the way teleportation looks. And the thematic nature of this Star Trek is a departure for the previous ten films. While the series was about an intergalactic crew of explorers and the films were by and large Horatio Hornblower in space, this film is much more like Star Wars with grand themes of world destruction and epic destiny.

The film is part origin story, part revenge story (perfect combination for a summer movie, right?). A Romulan named Nero (Eric Bana) travels back in time seeking revenge for something that happens in the future (I won’t spoil it). His ship, the Nurada, possesses the Death Star-like technology to destroy planets. It’s up to a brash young crew of Starfleet cadets to stop him (hint: they are onboard the Starship Enterprise).

Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk is perhaps the biggest departure from the original characters (the changes are plot driven,). The trailer points out that Kirk’s father was captain of a starship for 12 minutes and saved 800 lives (including Kirk’s). Trekkies, no doubt, will realize this is a deviation from canon because Kirk’s father originally lived to see Kirk become captain of the Enterprise. So Pine’s Kirk is brash, rebellious and reckless in addition to the qualities that Shatner’s Kirk had (charismatic, strong, smart leader, good with the ladies).

The rest of the cast is fairly in line with their original counterparts. Zachary Quinto does an admirable job as Spock, Karl Urban is a scene stealer as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, and Simon Pegg’s Montgomery Scott provides plenty of comic relief.

The film is not without its flaws. I won’t get into many of them here as they would induce spoilers. The first half of the film covers a lot of time while the second half covers a very short period. Some of the humor is a bit over the top and simplistic (particularly Scotty’s alien sidekick). And for some reason the new Enterprise’s engineering looks like a brewery.

The major drawback is, I fear, that this film may alienate the core, devoted Trekkies. I won’t get into major spoilers but there are major changes in the Star Trek canon in this film. I hope Trekkies accept the changes because efforts to reboot the franchise through additional television series and Next Generation movies have by and large failed to cross over to mainstream audiences. I sincerely hope that Trekkie nation embraces this film and the ones that will surely follow. Change can be a good thing – and, in this case, a very good thing. Come on, Trekkies – Yes we can!

Brett Deacon joined the Twitter nation: @brettdeacon.

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April 24, 2009

Trailer Park: 500 DAYS OF SUMMER – Reviewed

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: caprica, Chloe Moretz, Clark Gregg, eric soltz, Geoffrey Arend, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Gomez, Mark Webb, Matthew Gray Gubler, Michael H. Weber, Minka Kelly, Phoenix Film Festival, Rachel Boston, Scott Neustadter, Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel — admin @ 1:35 am

So, I was able to sit down for a couple of years and pump out a book. It’s got little to do with movies.Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp. Some weeks you get lucky with the kind of information that people are talking about. This week there were clones galore, a conversation about Obama’s politics between webmasters broke out and the Twitterverse continues to write in agony at Alex Billington’s existence.

CAPRICA DVD GIVEAWAY

caprica_dvd-372x500 Who here loves Battlestar Galactica? Now, who wants something to take the edge off the series’ abscence from television?

Here then is CAPRICA.

Taken from Wikipedia:

Caprica is a television series set in the fictional Battlestar Galactica universe. Beginning 58 years before the events seen in Battlestar Galactica, Caprica tells the story of how Colonial humanity first created the robotic Cybernetic Lifeform Nodes or Cylons, who would later plot to destroy human civilization in retaliation for their enslavement.

An extended version of the pilot premiered exclusively on DVD and digital download on April 21, 2009. In early 2010, the first season, composed of the two-hour pilot and 18 hour-long episodes, is expected to begin airing on Sci Fi Channel in the United States. The rights to broadcast the series have also been picked up by Sky1 in the UK and Ireland.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has graciously given me, well, lots of copies of this fascinating and pretty wicked program. Part film, part pilot this is actually a piece of Sci-Fi that was at once engrossing and entertaining.

If you’d lke to take the next step in Battlestar’s evolution just drop me a line at Christopher_Stipp@Yahoo.com and let me know if you want one. Knowing how ravenous some of you viewers are about BSG I have a feeling they may go pretty quick…

SAVE FERRIS CHUCK

chuckvsfootlong-300x212 Zach Levi and Josh Gomez are friends of this site.

I’ve talked to Zach more times than anyone else I’ve met since working here and I’m glad to be able and say that he’s, by far and away, one of the most deserving men working in showbusiness today.

Chuck has shown him to be a quick comedic actor who is able to blend goofiness with an action bent without any problems at all. He’s funny and it shows in this program. Teamed up with Gomez the two of them have a chemistry that the writers of this program have blended well together.

The cast is top shelf, the shows have always been solid entries into television’s prime time offerings insofar that they show you can be mainstream without yielding to blandness but they have had heart. You haven’t heard any kind of needless drama or people not getting along and, in fact, last year I was invited by Zach to hang at the Hard Rock with the cast after their presentation at Comic-Con. Unless they wanted to put on a show to someone who has zero pull in spreading any kind of rumor whatsoever, you would’ve thought this was a Sunday night dinner with family.

That’s why I wanted to post a little something to help the program out. Called Finale and Footlong Campaign it is an effort to help stave off any effort to cancel the show. I would hate to think this is an exercise in futility but since Check out this site here on Zach’s personal website to find out more information about how you can help possibly, maybe save the program from an early, and unfortunate, demise.

500 DAYS OF SUMMER – EARLY REVIEW

Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love. Girl doesn’t.

This post modern love story is never what we expect it to be — it’s thorny yet exhilarating, funny and sad, a twisted journey of highs and lows that doesn’t quite go where we think it will. When Tom, a hapless greeting card copywriter and hopeless romantic, is blindsided after his girlfriend Summer dumps him, he shifts back and forth through various periods of their 500 days “together” to try to figure out where things went wrong. His reflections ultimately lead him to finally rediscover his true passions in life.

I know it’s little more than hyperbole on my part but this is going to be a film you’re going to be talking about in effusive praise as the film breaks wide.

What separates this film from a lot of other less interesting takes on the nature of relationships that men and women find themselves falling into and out of is its originality. It’s difficult to mine a topic that has been done so many ways since time immemorial but what makes 500 DAYS OF SUMMER so precious is that they’ve found a way to do it again and do it in a pastiche of pleasure and pain.

In wanting to tell a story that doesn’t drip with the falsities of what happens between two people who come together this film goes beyond the tropes and trappings of less than fulfilling romantic narratives which usually end in perfectly predictable ways. Writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber have written a story that doesn’t try to be too dour, too deep or emotive. Rather, what they do manage to craft, and why this movie sticks to the ribs of your heart long after you realize what the narrator said in the beginning is true, is a story that tells what it’s like to really fall in love and have it fall apart. Such a simple premise, and I realize that in other hands this could have been yet another film in a long string of sub-par romance tales, but it’s the non sequential storytelling that at least primes the pump for an engaging movie experience.

After we’ve established that the story is not going to flow in normal order, some of the thrill is not knowing which in the 500 days you’re going to get next, almost like a visual Choose Your Own Adventure novella, we are beautifully ballasted by the school boy charms of Joseph Gordon-Levitt who simply plays a man named Tom and the girl-you-always-wished-lived-next-door in Zooey Deschanel as Summer. These two are matched up in a way that at once feels right and exciting; you can actually buy into the idea that this budding hipster could actually woo a woman of Zooey’s pedigree. She’s not portrayed as a woman who’s playing hard to get but, and this is absolutely where you have to praise the talents of the writers, she’s a woman who is independent and played as such throughout the movie. There is no abandoning the sense of who Summer is as a woman simply because she gets with a man like Tom. You want to think that everyone is able to cast aside their childish things once love walks into their lives, and certainly Tom does, but Summer stays constant and, I would posit, only heightens the searing pain of what happens when Tom’s devotion, dedication and dreams aren’t enough to make a whole.

Gordon-Levitt hasn’t been this arresting since his turn in THE LOOKOUT, his portrayal as Tom is alarmingly resonant to anyone who has loved so hard but ends up having nothing to show for it. Tom’s eventual meltdown in a staff meeting is particularly poignant as even though it’s played for dramatic effect and is obviously going for the overtly overwrought, despondent aspects of a man in a slight depression it’s psychologically telling as something that any human being who can’t make sense of their own emotional lives could relate to. As well, Gordon-Levitt, once he does get back on his emotional feet and has brushed off his shoulders a bit delivers a subtle, yet stinging, turn as Summer comes back into his life in a wedding sequence that kicks any man in the spiritual nut sack when you realize he’s still hanging on to “What if” instead of realizing it’s “What already was.”

Deschanel, for her part, mystifies. She’s a tough mistress in that she never gives us what we all want from her and that’s for Summer to realize that Tom loves her, that it should be enough for her to believe in but that there is more going on than any of us realize. Like it was mentioned, she’s her own woman but that only increases her attractiveness. She doesn’t fall into the usual trappings of young lovers or infatuation or any of the feelings that always befall her cinematic equals. We love her in this film because she is still herself, is gorgeously depicted as a woman who has a bedroom smile that you wish you could awake to, a demeanor that won’t allow stupidity but who ultimately will make you work for her affection.

The truly arresting moments come in the film’s quieter times. When Tom picks a fight with a guy who is obnoxiously coming on to Summer, and it’s a time when you can see the writers at work crafting a moment for a specific reason, that it doesn’t feel organic, the ultimate resolution of the fight between Summer and Tom is gorgeously shot and is bathed in the kind of silence that apologies without recriminations sometimes have.

On the opposite end of the heady and heavy you have Paul, McKenzie and Rachel. Played by Matthew Gray Gubler, Geoffrey Arend and Chloe Moretz, respectively, they represent Tom’s two closest friends in the film and Tom’s very young sister to whom he tells everything. These three represent the comedic relief in the film and while they do feel like they’re serving the story’s purpose of lightening the mood they are by no means wasted. Gubler is absolutely charming as Tom’s confidant, Arend is positively hilarious and wish I had followed that man’s love trajectory and Moretz is the film’s other female element and she plays it well, her youth is in stark contrast to the maturity the writers have imbued her with but it’s positively welcomed. Along these comedic lines there is a song and dance number by Hall and Oats that should absolutely become your go-to mental representation should you ever hear the ditty outside of the theater.

And that’s the other thing.

Kudos to the film’s director, Marc Webb, for choosing a soundtrack that isn’t a bunch of shoegazing emo idiots slapped together for the sake of molding a hipster mix tape. A song by the aforementioned Hall and Oats, a karaoke version of “Here Comes Your Man” by the Pixies from a wicked Gordon-Levitt who knows how to rock a mic and scads of other musical nuances round out an ephemeral environment that feels very real to those in this film. Webb deftly allows these two to become more than just prototypical constructs and those who want to take issue with the idea that we’ve been here, we’ve done that so many times miss the point that if you were to look at what people have been given as a cinematic representation of love in all its trappings and pitfalls we have not been given a movie that makes you understand why we’re all willing to do it all over again. And again.

This is a film that deserves the slow resonating buzz its been getting and without question deserves your support when it comes out on July 17^th.

RAY SCHILLACI GOES TO THE MOVIES

Highlights from the 9th Annual PFF

phoenix_film_festival For those of you not in the know, PFF stands for Phoenix Film Festival, the largest film festival in the state of Arizona. It might very well be one of the friendliest in the nation for true independent filmmakers. This is the buzz that was going around the eight-day event amongst auteur young and old. A professional and friendly (from both staff and film folk) atmosphere abounded. There was more of a sense of camaraderie than of competition. Encouragement and goodwill spilled over into the audiences as well.

Not that every entry was a gem. There were a few diamonds-in-the-rough along with some coal, one just wanted to toss away (depending on your taste). There was the occasional offbeat and oft putting, but for the most part the festival offered a great escape from the pabulum served up by the major studios, and the pseudo-independents that are actually backdoor funded by the same perpetrators.

This brings me to a filmmaker favorite that graced the festival and was greeted with roaring acceptance and applause, Paul Osborne’s, “Official Rejection”. This documentary plays out as entertaining as the best of Michael Moore and then some. Osborne takes us on the treacherous and comical journey of several true independent filmmakers who enter the real world of the film festival circuit. The disappointments, the funds wasted, the lack of professionalism and the festivals that are mere “poser” independents for major studios is met with dismay.

Independent filmmaker, Scott Storm, is the center of all this and it’s amazing that the man does not end up punching somebody’s lights out. Osborne’s camera does justice for the new mavericks of media, making us want to cry foul. They pour their heart and soul into something only to have it discarded by money-grubbing schemers who have no intention on lending a friendly hand to help distribute the good word on an indie film. Storm knows from previous audience viewings that he has something worthy (later acclaimed indie thriller, “Ten “˜Til Noon”) and as the rejection letters mount one can’t help wonder if it is all for naught. Tales of payola abound as do festival shenanigans that have staff not only get accepted but win awards as well!

Storm plays the common man/filmmaker well. His story gets under our skin and makes us want to cheer for him. He’s our Mr. Smith, but instead of going to Washington, he’s traveling around the country with a micro budget siding with other frustrated filmmakers. After an exhaustive and heartbreaking trek, the man finally runs into some luck with our very own Phoenix Film Festival. It actually becomes a breath of fresh air. But what ensues between other festivals suddenly vying for the same film with the same schedule is an eye-opener. It’s amazing the moral fortitude Storm provides us with his journey.

Although director, Storm is the main focus, there are other noteworthy players; a real stand out is director, Johnny Montana. His off-the-cuff comments and blazon over-the-top personality elicits big laughs and one ends up wanting to see more of him. Another funny turn is director Osborne’s blatant pull for celebrities to pepper the documentary just for the purpose of getting them in the credits to draw box office attention no matter how short the interview is. Some of the more entertaining interviews are, Kevin Smith (would we expect anything less), Lloyd Kaufman (founder of Troma) and Andy Dick. A host of other notables are available and they round out the procession with an in-depth look into what has gone wrong with the system. Even Traci Lords (former pornstar and B-movie queen) puts in a few words; just cause she’s Traci Lords.

In the end Osborne and company have developed a unique double-edged sword piece of filmmaking that is rather ballsy. It’s beautifully executed and begging never to see the light of day, because it’s not only biting the hand that feeds it ““ it’s chomping down and devouring the appendage while shitting it out and laughing. As good as it is, it did not get accepted into Sundance, Slamdance or Tribeca. They were not even given the benefit of a rejection letter. Instead, phone calls were issued out and some had taken offense. Does the truth hurt that much? Obviously, yes! One only wishes that Osborne had gone a step further and pulled a Michael Moore by visiting Redford regarding his precious Sundance. But even without that, Osborne has accomplished a clear vindication to anyone who has spent their soul trying to get recognized for their passion. Personally, I would like to send kudos to Paul Osborne and company for a triumph of the will that has true independents rejoicing over their frustrated voices being discovered.

There is much more to come. The documentaries really shined this year and a few left field surprises had people talking for days. Also, I have to mention the wonderful creative opening sequence for the festival. A wink and a nod to Frank Miller’s “The Spirit” with Camerahead leaping the rooftops to get to the festival while featuring the sponsors in comic book frames. The presentation was a sheer delight. I will return with reviews on two highly noteworthy documentaries, “The Way We Get By” and “Shooting Beauty”. Also a peek at the surprise hit at PFF among others.

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March 27, 2009

Trailer Park: MONSTERS VS. ALIENS – REVIEW

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: bolt, Hugh Laurie, Monsters vs Aliens, Paul Walker, Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Vin Diesel — admin @ 2:25 am

I’m awesome. I wrote a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp. I’ve been finding that when you start to follow other people Alex Billington of First Showing.net and some other lightning rods of public opinion you got yourself an amusing petri dish of entertainment.

FAST AND FURIOUS – Screening

ff4_field_300x250 Now, first things first: Is there any among you living in Arizona who believes in the redemptive power of empty action?

Vin Diesel is back to the franchise that really launched him into the films that, well, set up his eventual arrival back to the franchise. Say what you will about THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS but it was a movie that was all parts action and no part brainpower. It’s one of those films that I still label as a guilty pleasure simply because I enjoy watching it. There isn’t anything redemptive about the story but there are really some excellent practical effects and it still holds up as the kind of movie you can enjoy if it just happens to pop up on cable.

Now, though, the gang is back in Justin Lin’s FAST & FURIOUS, coming into theaters April 3rd and here is the synopsis:

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker reteam for the ultimate chapter of the franchise built on speed – Fast & Furious. Heading back to the streets where it all began, they rejoin Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster to blast muscle, tuner and exotic cars across Los Angeles and floor through the Mexican desert in the new high-octane action-thriller.

fast When a crime brings them back to L.A., fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto (Diesel) reignites his feud with agent Brian O’Conner (Walker). But as they are forced to confront a shared enemy, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmaneuver him. And from convoy heists to precision tunnel crawls across international lines, two men will find the best way to get revenge: push the limits of what’s possible behind the wheel.

The screening is happening this Tuesday night, March 31st, at Tempe Marketplace and I only have a handful of tickets to give out. If you’re a winner I’ll put your name on the list and you’re as good as in. Just shoot me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com.

BOLT – Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Giveaway

bolt1 This is one of the most progressive things to happen in the home entertainment market. Say what you will about the battle between whether we’re all going digital or whether it’s better to stay safely in the DVD or Blu-Ray camp because Disney has just released last year’s BOLT, featuring the vocal stylings of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, in handy Blu-Ray/DVD combo packs.

You don’t have to guess which to get as you fiddle around guessing whether you’re going to be upgrading in the next year or whether you’ll be able to take a digital copy with you in your portable media player. This combo pack also sports a digital copy along with the two other formats so I cannot recommend this release enough.

The film surprised me as I wasn’t really expecting much but I ended up genuinely enjoying this film and am happy to announce I am giving away 5 Blu-Ray/DVD combo packs to the first five people to shoot me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com. I’ve also got tons of temporary tatoos, note pads, sticky pads and blow up toys so come one, come all.

For those in the dark about BOLT here is your synopsis:

For super-dog BOLT (voice of JOHN TRAVOLTA), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue – at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet – a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of MILEY CYRUS). Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help of two unlikely traveling companions – a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of SUSIE ESSMAN) and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino (voice of MARK WALTON) – Bolt discovers he doesn’t need superpowers to be a hero. Directed by Disney veterans Chris Williams and Byron Howard, BOLT is a hilarious, fun-filled, action-packed animated comedy adventure in Disney Digital 3-D.

BOLT is currently available in retail stores everywhere…

THE EMPEROR HAS NO SOUL: MONSTERS VS. ALIENS – Review

monsters-vs-aliens-poster Good, but not great. If you’re being honest and your crap detector is plugged in anyone watching the new film, MONSTERS VS. ALIENS, should have some kind of reaction along these lines.

Before I launch into the review here’s the synopsis:

When California girl Susan Murphy is unexpectedly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall and is instantly labeled a “monster” named Ginormica. The military jumps into action, and she is captured and held in a secret government compound. The world learns that the military has been quietly rounding up other monsters over the years. This ragtag group consists of the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement time is cut short however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. As a last resort, under the guidance of General W.R. Monger (on a desperate order from The President), the motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction.

Featuring the voice talent of Seth Rogen, Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Stephen Colbert and Keifer Sutherland this film so much wants to be so much more than it is and more than it delivers. I’m not sure where exactly the movie comes off the rails as an enjoyable narrative but there are moments in the film where you feel like entire segments of the film are missing; that’s a false notion as it is obvious this production thinks it’s able to move from traumatic moment of woman getting married, turning into large woman and then going into battle to fight a giant robot, then an alien horde, her fighting acumen sharply honed in the 3 minutes worth of transitions and exposition that fails to endear you to the 4 characters we’re supposed to care most about in this film. To illustrate the point, why do we care as an audience about Sully and Mike at the end of MONSTERS, INC.? It’s because we’re given enough moments throughout the film that show us that although they may look bizarre and completely abnormal the storytellers at Pixar paid attention to their humanity, or that immutable and ambiguous essence of what would make you and I feel something for them, so that at the end of the film when Sully says good-bye to Boo you’re positioned to feel something human for this wholly made up beast.

MONSTERS VS. ALIENS does none of this.

The film manages to completely skirt the issue of emotional development and, as a result, you have a movie that ends up just being good, missing the opportunity to create a new hybrid of superhero monsters that you not only want to see more of but would pay money to see. As it stands this movie employs the kind of 3-D showboating that we now make fun of in FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART 3 where the direction takes a back seat to using camera tricks to show you how neat-o it is to have objects flying towards your face. Don’t get me wrong, however, as the effects are genuinely a delight. You haven’t seen real 3-D until you’ve seen a crisp digital picture unencumbered by ill fitting red and blue glasses of yore tossing enough visually appealing objects towards your eyes. I believe the filmmakers have compensated enough so that those who find themselves in a 2-D theater won’t feel put out but it genuinely takes this humdrum story and launches it into another dimension. The effect is so convincing that at times your senses are tricked into thinking this world is all before you in real time. That’s amazing technology, to be sure, but the story suffers.

We’re introduced to all the monsters shortly after Reese Witherspoon becomes the super woman that we will know as Ginormica but even though we’re rapidly introduced to Susan as a wee little human and then see her transform within the span of the first 15 minutes we’re still hurried through everyone’s back story, all well told with nods to classic sci-fi films, and there is nary an attempt to make these monsters more, well, like you and I. I wanted to appreciate B.O.B.’s eccentricities more than I did, Seth Rogan has found the outlet where his guttural laughter actually accentuates the character he’s playing, to feel some connection to Dr. Cockroach or even feel something other than neutrality for The Missing Link. In an effort to appease an ADD audience, it seems, who would be unwilling to stand still for more than a minute we are rushed through his story of a savage robot, laying siege to San Francisco. Some illogical progressions of the story and ample derring-do to give the kiddos something to gawk at aside this set piece framed the tone for the rest of the film.

If you’re a fan of Stephen Colbert, his voice gives life to the part of an ineffectual but violence-embracing president of the United States, then you know what you’re getting. There’s nothing new here besides a genuinely humorous moment when the prez gets loose on a synthesizer in order to communicate with an alien ship and busts out “Axel F” as his sonata. His character, along with Kiefer Sutherland’s turn as the hard-ass military man who is in charge of the monsters, feels like someone we’ve already seen before, hackneyed even. Put these elements together and you’ve got yourself a briskly paced film that doesn’t require you to feel anything more than delight as the movie takes you on a visual feast (there are some moments when the visual palette is just bursting with detail) where the plot devices that bring us into the 3rd act just seem convient if not completely forced fed.

Much more of the same pervades the eventual climax of the film where our fine heroes find themselves aboard a spaceship, faced with the pressing threat of world domination should they fail. And of course they do not fail, it’s the actions of the team other than Ginormica which become more interesting than she is, and we’re all treated to an ending full of treacle and possibility that Part 2 is going to be coming at you in a few years.

The problems I have with this film were enough to land this movie in the “Good, but not great” category. This is, however, a film aimed at kids so my point here could be, well, pointless. Parents are always looking out for movies that appeal to their children and as this is the movie business, this investment, this commodity, for Dreamworks will absolutely bring them delicious dividends. As a movie that will be revered, be looked at with respect and awe, though, you can count on MONSTERS VS. ALIENS to be relevant in the moment and then be relegated to all the other films that will sit on a shelf, blurred out in time to other movies that have given the audience a little more than this did.

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February 13, 2009

Trailer Park: FRIDAY THE 13TH and CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC – Reviewed

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: confessions of a shopaholic, contest, derek mears, friday the 13th, isla fisher, Review — admin @ 1:44 am

I’m awesome. I wrote a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight”right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on Twitter. Find me here, my oh so original name on the thing is Stipp so come on and follow my stray ramblings.

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC – REVIEW

For anyone wanting to know the bottom line on this film here, verbatim, are the notes I sent to the studio rep about the movie:

“I thought the movie was formulaic, the writing was pretty weak and a little derivative but I thought Isla Fisher was positively effervescent and bubbly. She performed well in the role that she was given with other standouts being Krysten Ritter, who does Winona Ryder better than Winona Ryder, and Fred Armisen who I wished was given more to do. Overall, a movie that will positively work well with women who will gravitate towards the female-friendly material.”

Those still sticking around to read my additional thoughts on the movie I have to start by saying producer Jerry Bruckheimer was brilliant, getting in on this action. A man who usually has more to do with guns and bombs than he does with pantyhose and bombshells obviously saw something worth producing in a movie that is insipidly simple in its construction and wretchedly executed from the standpoint that there is no thinking involved at all by those in attendance. He saw, or at least I think he did, that there was a story that a large swath of the population not usually served by his usual fare deserved to hear because of what’s popular right now in our female society’s zeitgeist. It’s not a polemic on Middle Eastern relations, it’s a treatise on how one broke woman deals with shopping a lot, wants to write for a fashion magazine and then ends up falling in love.

That’s it. There’s nothing else you need to know about the film because it’s all filler and fodder to push along the 3 basic tenants of debt, shopping and fictionalized love. Isla Fisher, who plays Rebecca Bloomwood, absolutely shines in a role that requires nothing more than to be endearing, funny and charming. And she does it especially well when you consider how painful some other actresses have tried to pull this off in the pantheon of vapid female romantic comedy leads. Isla is a delight every single time she is on the screen and what’s impressive is that she was able to be compelling in her turn as a down-on-her-luck (self-inflicted down-on-her-luck, natch) writer who yearns to be part of the fashion world by writing for a prestigious magazine dedicated to all things glamorous. Her best friend, Suze (Krysten Ritter), is amazing insofar that, like I mentioned, oozes Wynona Rider all over her face but she manages to radiate the kind of peace and love that even Ringo Starr wouldn’t be able to resist autographing; she’s a delight.

After a series of wacky coincidences and unbelievable opportunities that defy any sense of logic, she becomes a lightning rod of attention for a staid and stuffy financial publication by writing a female-centric column focused on dumbing down complex issues dealing with money in a cheeky fashion. Her editor, Luke Brandon (played by the affable and likable Hugh Dancy), takes a fancy to this young wordsmith and the two end up playing the hackneyed game of girl likes boy, boy likes someone else, boy ends up liking girl.

Apart from these written elements there is an inordinate amount of slapstick. From fighting over boots at an exclusive sale of couture clothing to Isla actually putting palm to face of a foreigner from Finland at a cocktail party there is more to keep the ladies laughing from start to finish. And that’s the other thing. The movie appeals to women for reasons that should be abundantly clear when you understand that this movie is not predicated on looking at love from the perspective of that other fashion-centric movie, SEX AND THE CITY, as if you were to compare the two SEX would be considered an introverted examination of amour, this film just wants to be easy breezy.

There is a sub-plot of Isla dealing with a hard-nosed debt collector throughout the film as she avoids his calls, his visits and, ultimately, the fallout was a pleasant diversion that actually pays off at a pivotal moment in the film and there’s no denying that all the roles that are on the screen are used to their greatest potential. It’s not to say that all the performances are great or particularly pleasant, I wish there was more done with Fred Armisen who turns in a sublime and comical performance as Dancy’s boss, but there isn’t any long, drawn out moments that can at times disrupt the quick flow to these comedies.

In sum, this isn’t a movie I will ever purchase or pay to see again. I think the strongest comment I can make is that it’s a pleasant diversion to some of the fare out there that this could have been a lot worse if not for Isla Fisher. Fisher is the reason why this movie excels and you cannot help but notice that she is a comedic talent who actually manages to delight.

FRIDAY THE 13TH – REVIEW

I’m not one to begin with a quote so I apologize in advance. It’s gauche, I know that, I hate it when I see it in other publications, but it’s completely appropriate and relevant to what follows. It comes from SUMMER SCHOOL:

Dave: Have you seen the movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

Anna-Maria: No. It is good?

Dave: Oh, I’ve got to tell you, I love this film. It had passion and a plucky spirit. And, the characters had integrity, like when Leatherface went on that strict diet of human flesh, he had to cut out chicken and fish completely.

Thumbs up, indeed.

FRIDAY THE 13^th absolutely deserves to be hugged and coddled by those wanting to go back to the days when horror meant killing, horror meant sparking up a spliff and getting nuts with your lady friend and when horror meant Jason was actually menacing.

One thing that Marcus Nispel deserves credit for as director on this film is knowing what this property used to mean to those who were weaned on a hearty diet of straight-forward hack/slash films in the 80’s and why it was absolutely time to deconstruct the deconstructors that brought us the SCREAM franchise. Damian Shannon and Mark Swift as writers deserve equal credit for making a movie that walks that fine line of knowing what makes good horror good and bad horror, well, unwatchable. One of the biggest compliments you can give a movie like this, then, is that it managed to actually thrill and excite without it ever feeling goofy or having too high a polish.

When you look at the pretty teen entries in the 90’s (I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, SCREAM, FINAL DESTINATION, HALLOWEEN H20, et al.) the clean and clear cinematography put a polish on things stuck out a frayed thread that you wish you could just unravel. These movies are supposed to be gritty, overexposed at times, dirty. Now, while Marcus’ previous reboot of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE wasn’t deserving of any great praise overall he at least got the atmosphere right. And he gets it right in this film.

From the start we push right through some of the basic tenants of what made Jason, well, Jason. He sees his mom beheaded from afar in a flashback sequence, drenched in blackness and rain, which takes all of 5 minutes. Whereas some would love to dwell on this moment Marcus and Co. just plow through this information and you can feel this is a story that is going to move at a quick clip. When we get into the actual narrative we’re led to believe that a pack of kids who are off wandering around, backpacks in tow, looking for a stash of marijuana that has been planted somewhere deep in the recesses of tall grass, tall trees, far away from humanity, the backwoods. It’s effective in setting up of how distant all these events are taking place, how susceptible they are to the natural environs or any other danger that will fall upon them. Cell phones don’t work here either, natch.

The first pre-act, an extended moment really, of the kids looking for a plantation full of weed takes up a solid 15 minutes and is really a definitive look at how the rest of the film will unfold. We’ve got ourselves a story that knows how to pace itself, how to generate good tension with its characters as we all wait for the killing to go full throttle and how to execute its executions.

I have to hand it to the filmmakers in that they’ve properly figured out the proportions of sex, drugs and violence. The first two kind of take care of themselves, I think Jeffrey Wells won’t want for pictures of these ladies, but the latter was done with a little creativity. It’s hard not to be able and spoil things with descriptions of how there were some quality kills at the outset but it is sufficient to explain that there are messy ways to go here; America Olivio and Jonathan Sadowski both deserve a golf clap for setting things off in the right manner and it’s absolutely terrifying to see Jason have a spring in his step as the conversation, come Monday, will probably revolve around slow lumbering Jason versus Olympic sprinter Jason. I like the fast moving one because you can really feel the physics behind every machete hack and every ax toss.

As we settle into the story proper I was struck by the pacing. Whereas in the other entries you had Jason mostly attacking people in the night (there are exceptions to this) Jason is not relegated to being the boogie man who only strikes at night. As judged by the preview you do have Jason coming out to terrorize some young swimmer and this only enhances the experience in that you are left to wonder where and when he might strike.

The main players in this feature, Jared Padalecki (playing Clay Miller) and Danielle Panabaker (playing Jenna) were solid entries as the focus of this film. The two of them are relatively unknowns, most everyone in this film are unknowns, and again this only enhances the experience as you subconsciously are left wondering who is going to be spared and who’s going to die next. Thankfully this movie doesn’t play favorites and this is, perhaps, the film’s greatest advantage. Whereas other films in the 90’s played with young actors on the bubble you had some good beads on who was going to live and who was not. For the most part, this film keeps it all going as we traipse from one kill to another.

However, I will mention that the Jason Lair is a little goofy and idiotic. Its presence was the one thing that kept this film from being absolutely great and took me out of the 3^rd act somewhat. This area seemed awfully well-constructed, not to mention well-lit, for a man who is supposed to be a mentally deficient, homicidal maniac and it’s completely unbelievable in every regard. Also, its eventual use as we head home toward the ending is equally bizarre and logic defying but it does deserve a little credit for reasons that deserve to be seen to be believed.

One of the other issues that are raised when reviewing a horror movie is that you run in to a lot of things that are simply too goofy to try and be eloquent about: the drug use; the promiscuity; the nudity; the bad choices; and, subsequently, the bad decisions don’t really deserve to be scrutinized in the conventional sense. These elements made good horror films good then and it certainly makes it good now. To pick apart at these things would only serve to unravel the tight noose that is wrapped around your expectations for what you hope this movie will deliver. You go into this film wishing for these things and, if you’re really a fan of the genre, you hope things honor its heritage and you hope its fun. Derek Mears delivers an excellent, reenergized Jason Voorhees and even though there is nothing more to do than to act menacing his performance competes with that of C.J. Graham from FRIDAY THE 13^TH PART VI. I am recusing any talk of the subtleties of Derek’s performance as really any talk beyond his form would just spoil the goodness of his heinousness with how he dispatches his victims to the afterlife.

This movie delivers on delivering a solid horror experience with its thrilling pacing and dark atmosphere. Terror seems to be around many corners and it deserves credit for not only erasing the awfulness and shame the sequels have inflicted on the more respectable entries into this much maligned franchise. There is nothing intellectual going on in these movies and I think this accounts for why many have failed to “get it” when it comes to what makes these good movies. It’s about nudity, about gettin’ high and about how people are gonna die. And this movie delivers on all three. Chainsaw and Dave would have absolutely given this a thumbs-up.

And now, for those still reading, who would like to win some FRIDAY THE 13TH swag? I have 6 FRIDAY THE 13TH branded hoodies to give away and if you’re interested in winning just jot me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com and just write somewhere in that e-mail what your favorite entry is of this series. These things are L and XL, have a red little swath on the front saying FRIDAY THE 13TH and a pimp looking Jason mask that will always be looking behind you. They’re pretty pimp so big thanks to the sponsors who tossed some my way.

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February 6, 2009

Trailer Park: HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU and CHOCOLATE – Reviewed

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: ben affleck, JeeJa Yanin, Jennifer Aniston, justin long, ong bak, Prachya Pinkaew, scarlett johannson, tony jaa — admin @ 1:17 am

I’m awesome. I wrote a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

And now, you can follow me on Twitter. Find me here, my oh so original name on the thing is Stipp so come on and follow my stray ramblings.

Before I turn you loose into Review City I was asked once again to be a part of the podcast over at Screen Geeks. I was there talking about some recent films and what was really the best to come out of last year. If you have some time, please check it out, download it, stream it. I am always flattered to be asked to be on that program and I am sure some day they will figure out how much of a fraud I am. Until that comes, please enjoy my nasally stylings.

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CHOCOLATE – Review

A lot of this film is very meta.

What I have come to enjoy out of Tony Jaa films is his rubbery technique when it comes to inventive ways of kicking someone’s head in or how he is able to make his films watchable no matter how preposterous the plot. And, really, these films are not based on their depth so we’ve all bought into the idea that these films are more about the art of action than they are the art of dialog. This is important to realize as you watch CHOCOLATE, the latest from director Prachya Pinkaew and newcomer JeeJa Yanin.

Apart from the amazing tale, if it is to be believed, that JeeJa gave up five years of her life preparing for this role this film is going to be the one movie that heralds a new standard in action films for 2009. Note well that I am not calling this film an action masterpiece but what I can say is that it is head and shoulders above any soft or weak action movie that has been put out there this year. JeeJa, playing the part of an autistic girl, Zen, who is weaned on action movies (Tony Jaa, natch) and chocolate (don’t over think the why) is arresting as a woman who paints the world in her own shades of colors. She lives in her own mental world and it is absolutely lays the logical foundation as to why she does what she does. An aside: her mother needs help with some medical treatment and the girl plays the part of bill collector as she collects on money owed the family. It’s so convenient but who cares, really?

The meta of this film is that this is directed by Tony Jaa’s ONG BAK director, Pinkaew, and Zen’s own style of combat comes out of her consumption of Jaa’s films. This whole movie almost feels like a sequel to a Jaa film that everyone might say they’ve seen but this is completely original in the way it executes its action.

The action moves are wonderfully captured on the screen while the physical odds and ends and detritus that all needed to be in place for these fight sequences to go off, not to mention exact placement of human beings in order to make all of these things happen, is impressive when you consider all the time it takes to get it right.

I almost feel bad reviewing this film in a conventional sense in that this is not a film that can be “reviewed” in the usual sense as this movie is completely deserving of kudos and accolades on its technical prowess. Much in the same way that RUMBLE IN THE BRONX showed us exactly what we were going to get out of Jackie Chan, someone needs to apologize for all the RUSH HOURs, this is a demo reel of King Kong-ian proportions for what we can expect from JeeJa. As she was careening off the bodies of potential bringers of pain, inflicting physical abuse that even made me wince at times, comes to a head to a climatic scene with a cast of dozens that has to be seen to be believed. I am completely self-aware of this comment but I have to make it: Action never tasted so sweet as it does at the hands of JeeJa Yanin.

I cannot recommend this movie enough as a winter season treat so I hope that you catch this either theatrtically or when it comes out on VOD or Blu-Ray on February 10th.

HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU – Review

I am a fan of romantic comedies.

Much like some young men who fancy films with superheroes, explosions and bright lights, as I still do, I also have an affinity for well-crafted films that try and contain the very thing that drives almost every person whether they want to be cognizant of it or not: love.

It’s a rough thing to try and be faithful to the feeling we get when we meet someone, are pursuing someone and what’s it’s like to finally be with that someone but there are those who are able to get it right. Look at Cameron Crowe’s SINGLES, a movie that melded humor with the suffering tribulations of a pack of people who just want love and to be loved. It’s still a benchmark I judge a lot of other films by when a movie wants to go down that road of mainstream treatise on the commonality of love. SAY ANYTHING, as well, shows how adept he was in taking a lot of that comedy out and laying bare the quietness of people looking to find something special.

The problem with Ken Kwapis’ HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, then, isn’t that there is a lack of understanding of why this genre exists it is the not so great material, the execution of said material and its shallowness/one-sidedness of most the cast that ensures this will not be allowed into the pantheon of good romantic comedies. And, as an aside, this film shares more with tragedy than it does hilarity so if you’re wondering whether there will be yuks and chuckles peppered throughout this film you will be sadly and horrifically surprised at the infidelity, cheating, lying, mean spiritedness and overall dour sheen of the film.

For those unfamiliar with the plot here is the official synopsis: An all-star cast is featured in the stories of a group of interconnected, Baltimore-based twenty- and thirtysomethings as they navigate their various relationships from the shallow end of the dating pool through the deep, murky waters of married life. Trying to read the signs of the opposite sex, each hopes to be the exception to the “no exceptions” rule.

One of the first problems with the film, from its printed promotion to its trailer, is that it’s trying to sell you on the idea that this is going to be an amusing romp into some soft territory. What I take issue with is that this movie is confused. It doesn’t know what it wants to be. Apart from Ken’s serviceable directing is his ineffectualness in getting anything compelling out of this material or its players. To put it in terms many would be able and understand this movie reads like a Robert Altman feature without the depth of its characters and feels like a bad Thirtysomething episode, its players looking fresh off the runways of Milan and completely unbelievable as forlorn romantics. What’s more is that the movie tries to shoehorn short scenes with actors who have nothing to do with the film’s content to try and talk amusingly about the pitfalls of love gone bad. These mini “interviews” feel disingenuous when you try and marry them to the movie’s overall story.

And the stories! This movie spins yarns on top of sticks like plates, trying to keep them all going, and here is a run down of what each has to do with the other:

Jennifer Connelly: Your everywoman. She seems nice enough in her role as a wife who is in the middle of renovating her home (metaphor alert!) but is having issues with her lying husband.

Bradley Cooper: Connelly’s lying, cheating husband. He wants to get it on like Donkey Kong with Scarlett Johansson, an aspiring singer (thankfully, we’re not abused with her vocal talents) who pursues Bradley even after she realizes he’s married and is shocked and dejected when he doesn’t leave his wife for her.

Scarlett Johansson: She plays a shallow tramp of a woman. She’s leading Kevin Connelly on as a sorta, kinda girlfriend.

Kevin Connelly: Perhaps one of the best things about the film. He’s a guy just looking to make his way through life, trying to balance his professional and personal life. Goes on a date with Ginnifer Goodwin and doesn’t call her.

Ginnifer Goodwin: The emotional tractor beam of low self-esteem in this movie. She depends on other people for her happiness for 90% of this movie and only, by the end, does she realize only she can make her own happiness. What a shock.

Justin Long: Friend of both Kevin and personal mentor to Ginnifer of all the ways men like to treat women badly. If you’ve ever seen a film like this you’ll know how this will end and it does it miserably.

Jennifer Aniston: Common law girlfriend to Ben Affleck of 7 years and conveniently decides in a timely fashion that, no, even though the two of them agreed not to get married ever, she does want to get married. She dumps him.

Ben Affleck: A man who starts out being confident and emotionally stable ends up neutered by the end. That’s all you need to know.

Drew Barrymore: A vortex of pathetic. From using MySpace to get a date (you can tell by this how old the film has been sitting on the shelf by how much this site gets mentioned. I’m surprised no one name drops Pets.com) to being a genuinely bad at gaging how regular people are supposed to fall in love.

As you read the above I can tell you that this represents the major problem I had with this film: these characters are not believable, single-sided and they’re wickedly miserable. If I wanted misery I would just look at the relationships of people around me; I don’t go to the films to be reminded of the misery that real life doles out in ladles on a daily basis. The movie plods along, weighed down by its own moroseness, and once it thinks it wants to end things it can’t do it without seeming incredibly disingenuous.

I can’t give away how all of this plays out but this is honestly a sad film. I can’t lay too much blame at Ken’s feet for a middling movie but the screenwriters managed to miss or intentionally ignore the reason why there could have been a great opportunity to make a movie where there was genuine comedy and genuine heartache. As it stands, this film wants to tell a couple of handfuls’ worth of stories and can’t keep them all going.

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November 21, 2008

Trailer Park: TWILIGHT Review

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — Tags: Cam Gigandet, Kristen Stewart, Peter Facinelli, Rachelle Lefevre, Review, Robert Pattinson, Stephenie Meyer, Taylor Lautner, Twilight — admin @ 12:26 pm

I’m awesome. I wrote a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

I thought of all the different ways to review this movie and none of them seemed to be the right way to do it.

You see, the overriding emphasis on what I want to get across about TWILIGHT is that this film was for sure, absolutely, positively not made for me. I am a 33 year old male who hasn’t read any of the books written by Arizona native Stephenie Meyer and have no inclination to read the series based on a vampire and his human ward/lady friend. But that’s alright, I would come to feel by the end of this movie, because of one fact alone: this is show business and this film is in the business of appealing to young ladies. It does it so well, in fact, that I dare say this should be the one movie on prepubescents’ lips come Monday morning as the one film that has defined their year.

For the rest of us, however, this movie isn’t completely awful. Lord knows that the dialog is pretty bad, the characterization of our human love interest is beyond hackneyed and has been done before in countless other angst-y teenagers who hate life and whose parents just “don’t understand them” to say nothing of Bella Swan’s (Kristen Stewart) weirdly distant father who only adds to the movie’s forced narrative that this is, at its heart, a movie about teenage alienation. Like I said, it’s been done before in countless ways before in a lot better films. However, what I can say, like Edward tells Bella at the film’s prom scene that this all a rite of passage she deserves and needs to be a part of, is that this film is for the ladies.

This movie is going to be the gateway drug (and, really, everyone out there who will find themselves sitting in the theater as Edward (Robert Pattinson) tells Bella that she’s his brand of heroin try not to completely fall out of your seat as your belly ripples with the giggles that are sure to ensue) for many disenfranchised teenage girls who don’t have a voice in the current cinema climate.

The story of a young Bella who leaves the sunny and sandy shores of Scottsdale for the wet confines of Washington state, adjusting to life in a new high school and finding the boy of her dreams, only to find out he’s a member of the undead, is a relatively innocuous one. What we have here is a fairly basic flicks that has a shroud of vampirism tossed over it. And you know what? It’s a hoot. It’s a genuinely interesting film as we progress deeper into Meyer’s mythos, finding out what this brand of vampire is capable of doing, how they live, what makes them special, what threatens their existence, etc… It’s the exploration of these smaller bits that elevates this film from just being a shoddily produced cash-in.

However, there are elements in the movie that would tell you otherwise.

The wire work, effects and anything else that required even the slightest bit of modern 21st century technology to enhance was abhorrent. There are moments, for example in the penultimate fight sequence (and a sequence that answers the question of What would James Dean look like if he were in a roughshod martial arts film?)Â between Edward and bad-boy James (Cam Gigandet) was nothing if but a comedic romp into bad action blocking. As well, Taylor Lautner’s performance as Jacob Black gets my Anthony Hopkins Award for racial blurring as that poor kid must have been given the C. Thomas Howell SOUL MAN treatment with enough self-tanner to make his olive skin turn a deep rusty hue in order to be the Native American representative of the werewolves. The aforementioned dialogue gets really, really bad at times and there’s even the sense that the players in this movie weren’t really given the ability to take Meyers’ work any higher than teenage melodrama. It’s more like a pilot for the CW at certain points in this film. And I cannot stress enough the grating attitude that Bella seems to carry with her throughout the film. My main issue with this is if you create a protagonist who is so easily pained with her own life that she projects it whenever possible how could anyone else, besides teenagers whose sole sphere of experience spans life in only two insular stages: inside of school and outside of school, identify with this woman? The answer, if you’re following close enough, is that you’re not. This book, this film, this series, speaks to some elusive trigger mechanism in young teenage ladies and it’s clear to anyone looking at the screen that unless you shop at Hollister or Hot Topic there’s not much you’re going to get out of this.

There areÂ other members of the film, though, who actually do contribute to this film and elevate it just a little bit more than just a campy excuse to be doused in white flower. Peter Facinelli is one such actor and, to be quite honest, surprised me. His delivery isn’t stiff. He doesn’t lower his head and look forward to talk like some members of his vampy family. He speaks normally and acts, literally, as if he’s a vampire but just happens to live in a human’s world. Dare I say it I would have rather followed his story more than I wanted to follow everyone else’s. Rachelle Lefevre, one of the other “bad” vampires of this film, is a delight. She’s actually quite alluring and plays her role in a way that makes you feel a) like she could treat your neck like a piece of skirt steak and you would let her willingly and b) she is able to project a hint of evil without being obnoxious.

In all, TWILIGHT is going to make millions off the backs of young girls who have been in need of a DARK KNIGHT for themselves. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier for them. This film does not try to be all things to all people, it does not want me to like it nor does it try too hard to, it hits the right emotional notes of those in its targeted sights and there is no way you could walk out of that film thinking that there is no way an audience could love that film because when you consider that in the land of show business this is one property that knows its market.

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October 31, 2008

Trailer Park: ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO – Reviewed

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — admin @ 1:58 am

I’m awesome. I wrote a book. It’s got little to do with movies. Download and read “Thank You, Goodnight” right HERE for free.

One of the real delights of ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO is Craig Robinson; it’s his brand of humor that succinctly explains why this film is a delightful diversion and honorable entry in the View Askew canon.

It’s the mixture of actors who haven’t lived within Kevin Smith’s oeuvre that pump the much needed vitality and energy in order to make this picture more than just something limited to the characters and personas he’s used to creating. Without question a lot of the credit for what elevates the film has to go to Elizabeth Banks; it’s her bubbly effervescence, her commitment in playing a woman who would a) rock granny panties and b) allow herself to be ridiculed for doing so when she’s captured doing so on a cell phone and uploaded to YouTube but it’s also her natural charisma that make her an audience darling. We care about Miri’s plight, along with Zack’s, in her quest to find a way out of the abject poverty she and Zack finds themselves in. Banks just exudes the innocence that this whole film hinges on, Lord knows as an audience we would absolutely buy the premise that Seth Rogan would hump on cue in front of the camera, and it’s only through Smith’s writing we can believe the series of events that take this from just a clever idea, a one trick pony, and honestly morphs into a movie that is, perhaps, one of the best romantic comedies that has been released this year.

As well, moving towards the moment when our two broke losers figure porn is the only way out there is no denying that Justin Long not only has one of the most briefest moments in the film but is pivotal to pushing the narrative towards its logical next step. Long is outrageous as Brandon, the throaty emperor of gay porn, and the moment he has with Zack at Zack and Miri’s high school reunion is one that, if nothing else, give reason for Long to shed any trace of the twinkling boy next door we all know from his stints as the Apple pitch man.

The plot ripens in a way that isn’t reminiscent of Smith films, looking at this entry as you would any artist’s collection, as you won’t find long ruminations on pop culture, but Smith allows Banks and Rogen to develop a relationship with one another on screen instead of using them as conduits for his writing. These performers cement their believability as roommates and, more importantly, friends who have known each other for a long time and it works. It works to the film’s benefit as the two of them then become willing partners in a pornographic adventure that seems more to do with their relationship than it does with the excuse to have adult film stars flitting around making puerile jokes with one another. (And if that’s your bag there’s enough of that to go around so fear not.)

Robinson, Jason Mewes, Ricky Mabe, Jeff Anderson and the rest of the cast are well-placed in this film’s tableau as they’re not immediately front and center of this film’s action. This is Zack and Miri’s movie in more than one way. Neverminding the production of this porno and overlooking the amusing steps along the way as the movie is put to tape it is the penultimate moment when Zack and Miri come together, witticism intended, that this movie explodes. The way this scene is framed, shot and scored it makes you wonder if this was the moment Smith had thought of when he came up with the idea. It just feels like an earned moment and it certainly is the brightest spot of the film for me. He earned the right to take the film where it went and all self-effacements aside it just worked, clicked.

To talk about the intricacies of what takes this movie just beyond the making of the porno, the changed feelings Zack and Miri have for one another is just too easy not to see coming, would be a disservice to the film. In explaining comedy you almost have to give up the reason why it was funny in the first place and I’m not here to spoil the little surprises that pepper the film.

Rogan should be the one, however, to surprise everyone. From KNOCKED UP to SUPERBAD the guy, funny as he was, was funny because he needed to be. In this film he doesn’t try to be that guy; his performance was naturally compelling because it was the closest iteration to what someone in his position would do should they find themselves in the unique circumstances he does. You believe his antics and actions. His comedy here seems stripped down and proves why someone took notice of him while he was on Freaks and Geeks.

The film should be one of Smith’s centerpieces if for no other reason than this is one of the best examples that prove that he can make a movie that is filled with some of the most jolting moments this year, Dutch Rudder and constipation, that’s all I’m going to say, but marry it with a love story that is affective and tender. Too many times the criticisms about Smith’s inclusiveness with regard to his characters’ seemingly whip smart cadence is well-deserved. Here, though, Smith eschews it. It’s odd but liberating at the same time.

I’ve always wanted more of Smith’s belief in himself, that his writing can absolutely go beyond his ken and stable of familiar and safe characters, and this film is the one that feels and acts different. It’s Smith putting himself out there for all those who have been lobbing their sound bites at his feet, telling him to leave the View Askew universe for a bit, and the end result is great. Great not only from the point that his regulars are relegated to the background but that he put his trust in his actors to let them distill his script and relay it in the manner which has made them good at what they do.

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Now, it’s Halloween and that means it’s time for Ray Schillaci to break down my virtual door to bring his own brand of insight on this most hallowed of days…but before I get to him there is a little bit of custodial quick hits:

1. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. I saw this movie two nights ago and I have to tell you, honestly, no bullshit, this is one of the best films of 2008 that I have seen. While I am restricted and prohibited from saying anything more it is my honest wish that some of you put this film in your Must See queue. It’s beyond words for me at the moment but these next couple weeks will allow the film to replay and percolate in my mind as I craft a review. It damn near made me cry.

2. “Kyle Clifford”. Who is he? What is he? What does he want? I dunno but he just deserves a mention. Guy should put on a one man show. He’s the next Danny Gans, the next Carrot Top without the props, the next Louie Anderson but not as portly. It’s my solemn wish that this guy realize his potential and bring laughter to the masses. As it is, the guy warrants a little ink. WWRBD, indeed.

3. I made a mix tape. Remember when you made mix tapes in high school, maybe into college? Well, I was rapping to my man Thomas Stern and mentioned that this activity shouldn’t be limited to those in the younger grades as I remember getting my start in listening to some excellent bands from the trading of mix tapes. Since I can’t freely distribute this thing without getting hauled into federal court I will at least list the tracks for your perusal. I’m damn proud of this one and if anyone has a mix tape they would like to share I am always in the market for new music. Long live the mix tape:

1. Elvis is Everywhere ““ Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper
2. Sorry Again ““ Velocity Girl
3. Lights Out ““ Santogold
4. Heavyweight Champion Of The World ““ Reverend And The Makers
5. Bitches Aint Shit ““ Ben Folds
6. I Want It All ““ Dance Hall Crashers
7. Reid’s Situation ““ Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet
8. The Mayor of Simpleton ““ XTC
9. Lonesome ““ Regatta 69
10. White Winter Hymnal ““ Fleet Foxes
11. Little Tiny Moustache ““ Stephen Lynch
12. *Hidden Track Within The Mix And Therefore Isn’t Hidden*
13. The Bigger the Figure ““ Louis Prima
14. The Audience Is Listening ““ Cut Chemist
15. Shower Science ““ Saint Etienne
16. My Little Suede Shoes ““ The Robustos
17. Into The Dark ““ Ben Lee
18. Some Rainy Sunday ““ Juliana Hatfield
19. Na Na Na ““ Theresa Andersson
20. Building Steam with a Grain of Salt ““ DJ Shadow
21. Unplayed Piano ““ Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan
22. Just Stay ““ Kevin Devine

4. Giveaway. Anyone who read this far and wants to be entered into a drawing for a free ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO one sheet just send me a note to Christopher_Stipp@Yahoo.com. Yahtzee!

5. Text Movie Club. This is a new site I write for on a regional basis, it’s out of Phoenix, and it’s creation is not why I’m including it today in my column. It’s due to this online social network that gets people into screenings early, gives them free shit and is a portal where people can go and just dish about movies. It’s as if Santa Claus and MySpace (not the part of it that sucks) had a baby and raised it to give away stuff nonstop. It’s an excellent concept to give fans of a film an early peek to movies that many of us have to wait until opening day to see and it seems to be branching off into other states as well. Give it a peek to see if it’s coming to a town near you. Who can deny the power of free films in this economy?

6. Get your ass out and vote. So many of you lazy asses will sit on them and not get a vote cast. Be it McCain or Obama it is my hope that every one of you who are able to cast a vote do so. Even if there is just one proposition you want to vote for (Proposition 102 for example, in Arizona, wants to make marriage only between a woman and man. I’m honestly disgusted to be in a state where these religious fundies think this is a good thing. 30 years from now we’re all going to be laughed at for this type of thing.) just do it. Lots of people, a long time ago, worked especially hard to make sure you could do it and it’s honestly something I love doing every year. Even if I’m not proud of what other countries think of us based on the retarded ape we have as a president now I still think it’s a civic duty we should embrace.

That said, go Obama…

And now, without any further ado, my main man, my Toucan Sam, you know his name isn’t quite Pam, Ray Schillaci…

Greatest Moments in Horror History

While other people pontificate about the greatest horror films this season, which I feel so many have missed the mark, I decided to deliver my choice of the greatest horror moments (in no particular order) in scary movies. Some are automatic gimmes, others are a little out of left field, but well worth checking out if out have missed the boat. All are available on DVD.

First the obvious:

Psycho ““ Janet Leigh takes her last shower and we end up flinching every time someone steps into a bathroom in anything remotely resembling a thriller.

Night of the Living Dead ““ It was bad enough that good ol’ George (Romero) was breaking taboos all over the place with a black hero and cannibalism, but he went and had a little girl (all of about 11 years old) die, come back to life and butcher her mommy before or very eyes. Sure it was black and white, but the visual chilled us to the bone.

Diabolique (the original French version) ““ My dad still remembers after all these years the corpse suddenly reappearing, slowly stepping out of the bathtub, white pupils exposed and heading towards his spouse. It scared the crap out of him and it gave me the willies as well when I first picked up the Criterion DVD.

The Exorcist ““ Sometimes it’s the subtle things that scare the shit out of us. Freidkin paced himself well, but nothing truly beat the eeriness of the sounds coming from the attic and Ellen Burstyn taking a lit candlestick and checking it out. What was she thinking!

Halloween ““ There is a one-two punch here; when Dr. Loomis arrives at the sanitarium in the pouring rain, finds the attendees taking a stroll and Michael Myers leaps up on the car from behind. More people had their blood pressure shoot up ““ and it only built from there ““ but the pinnacle for so many was when he rose from the couch. I remember being at the Americana Theaters in Van Nuys, CA and the continuous screaming that accompanied it. Horrific.

Now for something different:

The Omen (original) ““ Richard Donner was in rare form when he choreographed the graveyard scene that had people leaping from their theater seats and popcorn flying. This is a good reason to go out and get a PS3 to see and hear this testament to horror on blu-ray that would never be surpassed by its sequels or remake.

Alien ““ Talk about something eating at you. When that little bugger popped out of John Hurt’s chest, some people literally ran out into the lobby. Who would ever think they could find gothic horror in space.

The Shining ““ The Twins. Need I say more.

Friday the 13th ““ Before you toss out this opinion, think about the very first time you watched this and knew it was a low rate, who’s doing it with gallons of grand guignol to boot. When we though it was all over, Jason introduces himself in the most nerve-wracking way having some people screaming and crying through the credits. Of all the cheap jumping out bits this far surpassed “Carrie” or anything else in the cheap thrills department and it proved that at the box office with its continuous sequels. By the way, the beginning of Pt. 2 has a great jump-start as well.

SAW ““ the very ending made so many of us gasp in terror and leave us sleepless for several nights while spawning sequels (some that are too good for this kind of tawdry tale of the macabre) that may become as regular as Halloween.

Speaking of endings; “The Blair Witch Project” worked its weird magic into people’s minds and messed with us to no end after we ran into that building with all the small handprints and found you-know-who standing in the corner. Creeeepy.

Wait Until Dark ““ At one time it was thought that the last 10 minutes of this nifty thriller was nearly as harrowing as it gets with Alan Arkin as the slimiest scumbag on the planet.

Of course, Neil Marshall proved that wrong years later by frying our nerves with the last 50 minutes of “The Descent”. This could easily be labeled as one of the best horror films in the past 10 years. One claustrophobic scene after another accompanied by the feeling of being watched and not knowing what is around the corner. Oh, but when you do get around the corner what you find may cause an asthma attack.

And, finally the granddaddy of them all; Texas Chainsaw Massacre and TCM 2 ““ Tobe Hooper initiated us into believing what we were seeing when we saw so little. It was a great exercise in suggestive sinema. And, the scene when the first couple encounters Leatherface’s home is as uncomfortable and terrifying as it gets. Just when you thought he could do no more, Hooper followed up with a sequel that was as blood drenched as everybody thought the first one was. He knew he started something, and so many lesser directors had jumped on the gore wagon. But Hooper’s sequel was different from the beginning, laced with farce, gallows humor and an over-the-top performance, not to be missed, by a double chainsaw wielding Dennis Hopper. In fact Hooper matched the first encounter with Leatherface with a reintroduction in the sequel that has to be seen. Just writing about it will not do it justice. But I will say he uses the talents of Danny Elfman and his band Oingo Boingo to the max! Pipe this through your sound system and crank it up. You won’t be sorry.

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October 17, 2008

Game On!: Payne-ful

Filed under: Game On!,Reviews — admin @ 5:48 am

Today, theater goers will have a few choices as to what to watch at their local Cineplex. For some, the choice may be the new film MAX PAYNE, based on the popular videogame series. For these people I say”¦MAKE A NEW CHOICE.

Now, it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the games. I’ve played both numerous times, and I even played the first game for a few hours just before going to see the movie, just so I could compare and contrast between the two. Now, I’m not so naÃ¯ve to believe that they wouldn’t change a few things in their adaptation – that’s fairly common practice nowadays ““ but I wanted to see just how much they would, if at all.

Let me tell you, if you’re a fan of the games at all”¦stay away. You will be sorely disappointed.

First, for those familiar with the game and its plot, the summary of the film version at least SOUNDS similar: “Detective Max Payne (Mark Wahlburg) seeks vengeance for the brutal murder of his wife and child. His obsessive investigation takes him through a nightmarish journey into New York’s dark underworld.” Sure, fine, good”¦that sounds kind of like the game, right? Well, that’s just about where the similarity ends. I don’t mind that they’ve taken Max from being a DEA agent to just a Detective”¦I do mind that they’ve made him a desk clerk for cold case files rather than a hard boiled, tough as nails street cop who goes all Punisher-vigilante style on the bad guys.

See, what makes the MAX PAYNE games great is their story, and how it’s told. The games use a film noir style and combine it with a shitload of gun-blazing action. If you took SIN CITY and had John Woo direct it, you’d have a pretty damn good MAX PAYNE film. Sadly, this has neither. This feature completely abandons the film noir aspect, only utilizing Max’s famous narration at the very beginning of the flick. And sure, there are many things that if you had a passing knowledge of the game, you might say ties in. The opening sequence is at the subway station at Roscoe Street. There’s a drug called “Valkyr” and a company called “Aesir” and a club called “Ragna Rock”. There are characters from the game, including Alex Balder, BB, Mona Sax, Jim Bravura, Jack Lupino and Nicole Horne. However, having these items or characters act or perform as they do in the game is practically non-existent. Many of these characters only serve as the tiniest bit of fan-service”¦and BAD fan-service at that. Most are only included to have a character from the game in the film.

Mona Sax (played by Mila Kunis), for example, is a strange character. Without knowing her from the game, you wouldn’t know why she appears in the movie at all. Her scenes don’t’ establish her character well enough (beyond her being the sister of a murder victim) and her reasons for helping Max, or even what she does are completely left in the dark. Apparently, she’s a Russian mobster hitwoman”¦or something. Likewise, Jim Bravura (rapper Ludacris) is an empty shell of a character, used only to have SOMEONE on Max’s case. Here, he’s a detective from Internal Affairs, while n the game he’s the cop following Max’s trail of vigilante justice. While those two aren’t that varied, sadly it just seems like they didn’t know what to do with the character. He does no real detective work, he just shows up at random moments and nothing really happens. It probably doesn’t help that both Mila Kunis and Ludacris are woefully miscast in this film. Making tiny Mila into a badass just doesn’t work, and Luda just plain can’t act in this film.

But these are just minor quibbles in the whole of a shitty movie. Didja see that cool trailer for the flick? The first one, where it showed all that slow-motion action of Marky Mark whipping a gun at thugs, flying through the air and blasting caps into fools? How long was that trailer, would you say? About two minutes? Would you be surprised that all the action that you see in said trailer is all the action that appears in the ENTIRE film? So, that’s two minutes of action, in a movie that lists its run-time at 100 minutes. So”¦that leaves 98 minutes of ACTION-LESS FILM. No action in a film based on an ACTION GAME. Brilliant. And that 2 minutes of action? It’s spread out over the last 20 minutes of the flick”¦which means for at least the first hour, you’re watching a film where you’re just WAITING for SOMEONE to shoot SOMETHING.

The game is known for its action set pieces. The bullet-time slow-motion gunplay put the game on the map”¦to see it omitted from all but a few scenes near the end of the flick is a travesty. So, what do we have instead? Ham-fisted brooding, lackluster character development and scant scenes of what you’d want in an action movie: action.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the action that IS there is decent”¦it’s just not what I’d want out of a MAX PAYNE movie. The director handles the look of the film well, with ample lighting and cool, slick camera moves. It’s just too bad it’s all so hollow. The effects are great”¦but again, NOTHING like the game.

And if you’ve never played the games at all? Prepare to be even MORE confused than those who have. In the film, the users of the Valkyr drug hallucinate and see demons with wings, which are supposedly what carry them off to their maker. These creatures are a VERY cool effect, but appear NOWHERE in the game. Sadly, the film itself does a horrible job telling the audience weather those creatures are even a hallucination or not. Even worse still are Max’s motives for doing ANYTHING in his quest for redemption and vengeance. Why is he teaming up with Mona? What are her motives for helping him? If the cops think he’s so dangerous, why don’t they make any attempts to arrest him? Why does he randomly take the drug himself? Nothing he does makes sense in this film. A friend of mine who saw the film with me (and who doesn’t know the games as well as I do, if at all) said it best to me. He said if he actually put thought into it to try to see what the filmmakers were trying to say about the situations in the movie, he understood it”¦but he had to figure out what that was first.

But as a fan of the games, it angers me at how sloppy this adaptation is. This is where I come off as a raging fanboy, but I frankly don’t care. I understand how Hollywood has to adapt a license to make it more marketable to reach a wider audience than it’s built in fan base. Sure, that makes sense to me. What doesn’t make sense is changing SO MUCH that they alienate the fan base to begin with. Jack Lupino (Prison Break’s Amaury Nolasco) is the boss of the first level in the game. Just the first level. Here, he’s practically the film’s entire villain focus. What about the mob, the gang war”¦hell, what about Max’s addiction to painkillers? Where is the bloody FILM NOIR ASPECT? I want my voice over narration with cheesy synonyms and dark humor. This film had neither. It’s like the writer looked at a synopsis of the game, took a bunch of the character names, and wrote a script around THAT. Hell, one of the pivotal characters in the first half of the game, Vinnie Gognitti, is reduced to having his last name be the name of the STORAGE FACILITY Max keeps his dead wife’s belongings in.

I know, I know”¦I shouldn’t expect a film adaptation of a game to be accurate to the source material but honestly? Uwe Boll has made more accurate adaptations. I don’t blame the director here, though. At least this LOOKS better than an Uwe Boll flick. No, I blame the writer for a disjointed, sloppy, confusing and utterly boring mess. And what’s worst of all? The MAX PAYNE games are rated M for Mature. The film is rated PG-13. Now, the director, John Moore, has said that he hoped for the PG-13 rating, to reach a wider audience. The director also announced he is planning a “Gamer Dedicated Cut” of the film, as he explained to GameDaily:

“There’s what I call the Gamer Dedicated Cut of the movie. It’s a little slower and a little more atmospheric. There are some rougher edges on it, but it’s not going to be a bloodfest. I want this to be the Max Payne that I set out to shoot. It’s not that I wanted to release one version in the theaters and make a cheap buck by following up with a blood-drenched DVD version. The movie you see in the theaters will be an intense experience and the movie you see on DVD will be as intense an experience with some extra sensibilities for people who really adore the game.”

Wait a second”¦you release a practically action-less action movie that moves slow and is confusing, then say you’re going to release a version for the fans of the game that moves even SLOWER and WON’T be as bloody as the game?

Maybe I do blame the director.

Hollywood, take note. Give video game fans what they want”¦a faithful adaptation of the games they love. You may find that you’ll pull in folk not familiar with the source material anyway. Just try it once, just for shits and giggles. I’d like to see how that plays out.

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October 2, 2008

Trailer Park: REVIEWS – HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE / RELIGULOUS

Filed under: Reviews,Trailer Park — UncaScroogeMcD @ 11:40 pm